Sadalsuud is the brightest star of Aquarius, a luminous yellow giant whose Arabic name means the luckiest of the lucky stars.
At a glance
| type | yellow giant (class G) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 537 light-years (165 pc) |
| its light left it | 537 years ago |
| luminosity | 1,730 × the Sun |
| radius | 39.3 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 5,940 K |
| constellation | Aquarius (Water Bearer) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Sadalsuud
The card lists a yellow giant of class G, vastly wider and more luminous than the Sun. It shines as brightly as it does because it is a huge, powerful star, not because it is near.
Sadalsuud is Beta Aquarii. Its name comes from the Arabic saʿd al-suʿūd, “luck of lucks”, the most fortunate of a group of lucky-star mansions in this part of the sky. It is slightly brighter than Sadalmelik, the alpha star, and the two lie close together on the sky with a very similar colour and distance.
What you see in the piece
Sadalsuud and Sadalmelik are a near match in colour, power and distance, and the piece keeps them close together in space as well as on the sky.
Questions
What is the brightest star in Aquarius?
The brightest star in Aquarius is Sadalsuud, Beta Aquarii, a yellow giant, just ahead of Sadalmelik.