Naos is the brightest star of Puppis and one of the hottest stars the eye can see, a blue giant racing through space and blowing off a ferocious wind.
At a glance
| type | blue giant (class O) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 1,080 light-years (332 pc) |
| its light left it | 1,080 years ago |
| luminosity | 531,000 × the Sun |
| radius | 14.4 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 41,000 K |
| constellation | Puppis (Stern) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Naos
Naos is a hot, massive blue star, among the hottest and most luminous stars visible without a telescope. Its light is so intense that it drives a powerful wind of gas off its surface, and it is losing mass quickly. It also spins very fast.
It is a runaway star, moving through space much faster than its neighbours, probably flung out of the young cluster where it formed. The name is Greek for ship, fitting for the brightest star of the Stern of Argo.
What you see in the piece
Naos glows a deep blue in the piece because of its fierce temperature; it is far away, yet so powerful that it stays bright as the nearer stars of Puppis fall behind.
Measured or modelled
Where Naos was born, and how it was thrown out, are inferred from its motion; whether a companion’s supernova or an encounter in a crowded cluster launched it is still discussed.
Questions
How hot is Naos?
Naos has a surface temperature of 41,000 K, making it one of the hottest stars visible to the eye.
What does Naos mean?
Naos is Greek for ship; it is the brightest star of Puppis, the Stern of the ship Argo.