Nekkar is a yellow giant at the head of Boötes, the Herdsman, a star far wider than the Sun at the top of the constellation’s kite.
At a glance
| type | yellow giant (class G) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 225 light-years (69.1 pc) |
| its light left it | 225 years ago |
| luminosity | 202 × the Sun |
| radius | 16.8 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 5,310 K |
| constellation | Bootes (Herdsman) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Nekkar
Nekkar is a yellow giant of class G, a star that has left the main stage of its life and swollen far beyond the Sun’s width. It is slightly cooler than the Sun and far more luminous.
Its name comes from an Arabic word for the herdsman or cattle driver, the name of the whole figure given to one star. It marks the herdsman’s head, at the northern tip of the kite whose southern tip is Arcturus.
What you see in the piece
In the piece Nekkar shows the faint yellow of a giant. Flown out to, it parts from Arcturus, which lies far nearer, and the kite of Boötes stretches out of shape.
Questions
What kind of star is Nekkar?
Nekkar is a yellow giant (class G) with 16.8 × the Sun’s radius and 202 × its luminosity.