Gomeisa is the fainter of the two stars that make up Canis Minor, a hot blue-white star beside Procyon whose Arabic name means the bleary-eyed one.
At a glance
| type | blue-white star (class B) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 162 light-years (49.6 pc) |
| its light left it | 162 years ago |
| luminosity | 275 × the Sun |
| radius | 3.97 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 11,800 K |
| constellation | Canis Minor (Lesser Dog) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Gomeisa
Gomeisa is a hot blue-white star, larger and much brighter than the Sun. It spins rapidly and has shed a thin disc of gas around its equator, which shows as bright lines in its spectrum.
Canis Minor, the Lesser Dog, is little more than two stars, Procyon and Gomeisa. The name comes from Arabic for the bleary-eyed one, from a story in which the star weeps.
What you see in the piece
From Earth the Lesser Dog is a short line from Procyon to Gomeisa; in the piece Procyon is a near neighbour of the Sun and Gomeisa far behind, so the line collapses as soon as you move.
Questions
What are the stars of Canis Minor?
The two bright stars of Canis Minor are Procyon and Gomeisa; Gomeisa is 162 light-years (49.6 pc) away, much farther than Procyon.