Heze is a white star in Virgo lying almost exactly on the celestial equator, a hot, fast-spinning star with a faint red companion.
At a glance
| type | white star (class A) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 74.1 light-years (22.7 pc) |
| its light left it | 74.1 years ago |
| luminosity | 22.5 × the Sun |
| radius | 2.08 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 8,720 K |
| constellation | Virgo (Maiden) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Heze
Heze is a white star of class A, wider and hotter than the Sun and considerably more luminous. It sits very near the celestial equator, the projection of Earth’s equator onto the sky, so it rises due east and sets due west wherever you are.
A faint red dwarf companion has been found orbiting it. The origin of the name Heze is uncertain. On the sky it lies east of Porrima.
What you see in the piece
In the piece Heze is a quiet white point among Virgo’s stars, close enough that it stays visible well after the more distant members of the figure have faded.
Questions
How far away is Heze?
Heze is 74.1 light-years (22.7 pc) from the Sun; its light left it 74.1 years ago.