Nunki is a hot blue-white star in the handle of the Teapot, the second-brightest star of Sagittarius, near the path of the Sun and planets.
At a glance
| type | blue-white star (class B) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 228 light-years (69.8 pc) |
| its light left it | 228 years ago |
| luminosity | 3,810 × the Sun |
| radius | 5 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 20,300 K |
| constellation | Sagittarius (Archer) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Nunki
Nunki, Sigma Sagittarii, is a class B star, hot and blue-white and far more luminous than the Sun. It is a young star still burning hydrogen in its core.
It marks the top of the Teapot’s handle. Because it lies near the ecliptic, the Moon passes in front of it at times and hides it, one of the few bright stars that can be covered this way.
What you see in the piece
Its blue-white colour in the piece is the colour of a surface far hotter than the Sun’s.
Questions
How far away is Nunki?
Nunki is 228 light-years (69.8 pc) from the Sun.