Kitalpha is the brightest star of Equuleus, the little horse, a yellow star paired with a hotter companion in one of the smallest constellations.
At a glance
| type | yellow star (class G) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 190 light-years (58.3 pc) |
| its light left it | 190 years ago |
| luminosity | 84.8 × the Sun |
| radius | 8.69 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 5,940 K |
| constellation | Equuleus (Little Horse) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Kitalpha
The card shows a yellow star of class G, wider and far brighter than the Sun. Its spectrum reveals that it is a binary: a cool giant together with a hotter white star, too close to separate in a telescope.
Its name comes from the Arabic qiṭʿat al-faras, “part of the horse”. Equuleus is the smallest constellation apart from Crux, and is pictured as the head of a small horse beside the much larger Pegasus.
What you see in the piece
Kitalpha is dim and lies in a sparse patch of sky. In the piece it is a faint yellow point; the little horse is too small and faint to stand out unless you know where to look.
Questions
What is the smallest constellation after Crux?
Equuleus, the little horse, is the smallest constellation after Crux. Its brightest star is Kitalpha.