Rasalhague is the brightest star of Ophiuchus, a white star near the Sun spinning so fast it bulges at its equator, at the Serpent Bearer’s head.
At a glance
| type | white star (class A) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 48.6 light-years (14.9 pc) |
| its light left it | 48.6 years ago |
| luminosity | 30.7 × the Sun |
| radius | 2.76 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 8,180 K |
| constellation | Ophiuchus (Serpent Bearer) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Rasalhague
Rasalhague, Alpha Ophiuchi, is a white class A star, larger and more luminous than the Sun and fairly near it. It rotates very fast, which flattens it into an oblate shape and makes its poles hotter than its equator.
It has a fainter companion on a long orbit. Following that orbit has let astronomers weigh the pair, a rare direct measurement for a bright star.
The name is Arabic for the head of the snake charmer. It sits close in the sky to Rasalgethi, the head of Hercules, so the two figures stand head to head.
What you see in the piece
From Earth it and Rasalgethi look like neighbours; fly out and they part at once, Rasalhague much nearer and white, Rasalgethi farther and red.
Questions
What is the brightest star in Ophiuchus?
Rasalhague, Alpha Ophiuchi, a white star 48.6 light-years (14.9 pc) from the Sun.
What does Rasalhague mean?
It is Arabic for the head of the snake charmer, its place in the figure of Ophiuchus.