Megrez is the white star where the handle of the Plough meets the bowl, the faintest of the seven, its name from the Arabic for the root of the tail.
At a glance
| type | white star (class A) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 80.5 light-years (24.7 pc) |
| its light left it | 80.5 years ago |
| luminosity | 28 × the Sun |
| radius | 2.32 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 8,720 K |
| constellation | Ursa Major (Great Bear) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Megrez
The facts describe a white star, larger and more luminous than the Sun, still burning hydrogen in its core.
It joins the bowl to the handle, and it is noticeably fainter than the other six stars of the Plough. The name comes from the Arabic for the root of the bear’s tail. Megrez is a member of the Ursa Major moving group, travelling through space with Merak, Phecda, Alioth and Mizar.
What you see in the piece
In the piece Megrez stays near its companions of the moving group when you fly out; Dubhe and Alkaid, at the ends of the figure, separate from it.
Questions
Which is the faintest star of the Plough?
Megrez, where the handle joins the bowl. It is 80.5 light-years (24.7 pc) away, with 28 times the Sun’s luminosity.