Menkar is the cool red star at the head of Cetus, the sea monster, a cool swollen star whose name comes from the Arabic for the nose.
At a glance
| type | red giant (class M) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 249 light-years (76.4 pc) |
| its light left it | 249 years ago |
| luminosity | 2,140 × the Sun |
| radius | 126 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 3,500 K |
| constellation | Cetus (Sea Monster) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Menkar
Menkar is a cool, very large red star in a late stage of its life, its outer layers swollen so far that, in place of the Sun, it would reach beyond the orbit of Mercury. Its reddish colour is plain to the naked eye.
The name comes from the Arabic for the nose, from its place at the head of the sea monster. Although it carries the alpha label of Cetus, Diphda at the tail is normally brighter. Menkar forms a rough ring of stars with Kaffaljidhma and its neighbours that marks the monster’s head, east of Pisces and south of Aries. It is one of the stars listed for celestial navigation.
What you see in the piece
In the piece Menkar is an orange-red point, its colour set by its cool surface. From space the monster’s head comes apart into stars at quite different distances.
Questions
What does Menkar mean?
Menkar comes from the Arabic for the nose, its place at the head of the sea monster Cetus.
How big is Menkar?
Menkar’s radius is 126 times the Sun’s, and it shines 2,140 times as brightly.