Aspidiske is a white giant in Carina, part of the False Cross, its Greek name meaning a little shield, the ornament on the stern of a ship.
At a glance
| type | white giant (class A) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 766 light-years (235 pc) |
| its light left it | 766 years ago |
| luminosity | 6,480 × the Sun |
| radius | 45.7 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 7,660 K |
| constellation | Carina (Keel) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Aspidiske
The card describes a white giant, far wider than the Sun and enormously more luminous, a massive star moving off the main sequence. Its great power is why it still looks bright from so far away.
The name is Greek for a small shield, the decoration carried on a ship’s stern, fitting for a star of Argo the ship. With Avior, Markeb and Alsephina it forms the False Cross.
What you see in the piece
It is the most distant of the False Cross’s stars; in the piece, flying away from the Sun shows the cross is nothing but a line of sight.
Questions
How far away is Aspidiske?
Aspidiske is 766 light-years (235 pc) away; its light left it 766 years ago.