Izar is a double star in Boötes so lovely in a telescope that it was named Pulcherrima, the most beautiful, for the colours of its two stars.
At a glance
| type | orange giant (class K) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 203 light-years (62.1 pc) |
| its light left it | 203 years ago |
| luminosity | 550 × the Sun |
| radius | 33.5 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 4,830 K |
| constellation | Bootes (Herdsman) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Izar
Izar is the star lettered epsilon in Boötes, an orange giant of class K far more luminous than the Sun. A good telescope splits it into a bright star and a much fainter companion very close beside it, with a strong contrast of colour between them that has made it a favourite of observers.
Its name comes from the Arabic for a waistcloth or girdle. The name Pulcherrima, Latin for the most beautiful, was given for the view through the telescope. Izar lies in the kite of Boötes, between Arcturus and the herdsman’s shoulders.
What you see in the piece
From Earth Izar is a single point not far from Arcturus; the companion that earned its nickname is too close and too faint to separate at the eye’s resolution.
Questions
Why is Izar called Pulcherrima?
Pulcherrima is Latin for the most beautiful, a name given for the striking colour contrast of its two stars in a telescope.
How far away is Izar?
Izar is 203 light-years (62.1 pc) from the Sun.