Kornephoros is a yellow giant and the brightest star of Hercules, its Greek name meaning the club bearer, a fitting title for the hero.
At a glance
| type | yellow giant (class G) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 139 light-years (42.7 pc) |
| its light left it | 139 years ago |
| luminosity | 148 × the Sun |
| radius | 14.4 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 5,310 K |
| constellation | Hercules (Hercules) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Kornephoros
Kornephoros, Beta Herculis, is a yellow giant: a star that has swollen as it ages, with a surface a little cooler than the Sun’s. It has a close companion found only from the shifting lines in its spectrum, the two circling too near each other for a telescope to separate.
Though Hercules is a large figure, it has no very bright stars, and Kornephoros edges ahead of Rasalgethi as the brightest. Its name is Greek for club bearer.
What you see in the piece
Its colour in the piece is a warm yellow. From space it is the brightest point of Hercules only as long as you stay close to Earth.
Questions
What is the brightest star in Hercules?
Kornephoros, Beta Herculis, a yellow giant 139 light-years (42.7 pc) away, is usually the brightest star of Hercules.
What does Kornephoros mean?
It is Greek for club bearer, after the club Hercules carries.