Hamal is the orange giant that is the brightest star of Aries, the Ram, a navigational star with a planet discovered orbiting it.
At a glance
| type | orange giant (class K) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 65.8 light-years (20.2 pc) |
| its light left it | 65.8 years ago |
| luminosity | 79.1 × the Sun |
| radius | 12.7 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 4,830 K |
| constellation | Aries (Ram) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Hamal
Hamal is a class K giant, a star that has used up its core hydrogen and swollen to many times the Sun’s width while cooling to an orange surface. A planet more massive than Jupiter has been found circling it, detected by the small, regular wobble it imposes on the star.
The name comes from the Arabic word for a lamb or sheep, shortened from a phrase naming the head of the ram. It is the brightest star of the short line of Aries and is one of the stars listed for celestial navigation, used by sailors to fix a position at sea by its height above the horizon.
What you see in the piece
Hamal is an orange point in the piece, close enough to stay visible from far away. Its planet is invisible: it shines only by the reflected light of its star, far too faint to show at this scale.
Questions
What is the brightest star in Aries?
Hamal is the brightest star of Aries, an orange giant 65.8 light-years (20.2 pc) away.
Does Hamal have a planet?
Yes, a giant planet has been detected around Hamal through the regular wobble it causes in the star’s motion.