Dabih sits just below Algedi at the head of Capricornus, a multiple star system that binoculars split into a wide and handsome pair.
At a glance
| type | yellow giant (class G) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 327 light-years (100 pc) |
| its light left it | 327 years ago |
| luminosity | 638 × the Sun |
| radius | 29.8 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 5,310 K |
| constellation | Capricornus (Sea Goat) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Dabih
Its brighter star is a yellow giant of class G, far wider and brighter than the Sun. Dabih is Beta Capricorni, and it is not one star but several: binoculars show two, and closer study has found further companions orbiting within each.
Its name comes from the Arabic al-dhābiḥ, “the slaughterer”, from an old lunar mansion of this part of the sky that also includes Algedi. With Algedi it marks the head and horns of the sea goat.
What you see in the piece
From Earth Dabih and Algedi look like neighbours. In the piece they separate in depth, and Dabih’s light is drawn at its true strength, fainter than the familiar bright stars despite its power.
Questions
What does Dabih mean?
Dabih comes from the Arabic al-dhābiḥ, “the slaughterer”, a name from the lunar mansions of Arabic tradition.