Paikauhale is a very hot blue-white star just beyond Antares in Scorpius, one of the hottest stars the eye can see and a reference for its kind.
At a glance
| type | blue-white star (class B) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 474 light-years (145 pc) |
| its light left it | 474 years ago |
| luminosity | 21,700 × the Sun |
| radius | 5.46 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 30,000 K |
| constellation | Scorpius (Scorpion) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Paikauhale
Paikauhale, Tau Scorpii, is a blue-white star at the hottest end of class B, its surface far hotter than the Sun’s and its light mostly ultraviolet. It spins slowly and carries an unusually tangled magnetic field, which has made it a much studied star.
Astronomers use its very clean spectrum as a standard against which other hot stars are classified. Its name was adopted from Hawaiian star lore, among the names given recently to stars from traditions beyond the Greek and Arabic.
What you see in the piece
It sits beside Antares on the other side from Alniyat, so the red heart of the Scorpion is flanked by blue in the piece.
Questions
How hot is Tau Scorpii?
Its surface temperature is 30,000 K, far hotter than the Sun’s.
How far away is Paikauhale?
Paikauhale is 474 light-years (145 pc) from the Sun.