Marfik is a white star at the elbow of Ophiuchus, a close double whose two stars circle each other and blur into one point to the unaided eye.
At a glance
| type | white star (class A) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 173 light-years (53.1 pc) |
| its light left it | 173 years ago |
| luminosity | 83.5 × the Sun |
| radius | 3.77 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 8,990 K |
| constellation | Ophiuchus (Serpent Bearer) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Marfik
Marfik, Lambda Ophiuchi, is a hot white class A star, larger and more luminous than the Sun. A good telescope splits it into a pair in orbit around one another; the eye sees only their combined light.
The name comes from the Arabic for elbow, its place in the figure of the Serpent Bearer, whose arm stretches out to hold the serpent’s head.
What you see in the piece
In the piece its white light marks a temperature well above the Sun’s; fly close and the pair it hides becomes two.
Questions
How far away is Marfik?
Marfik is 173 light-years (53.1 pc) from the Sun.
What does Marfik mean?
It comes from the Arabic for elbow, its place in the arm of Ophiuchus.