Segin is the blue-white star at the eastern end of the W of Cassiopeia, a hot, distant giant that is the faintest of the zigzag’s five stars.
At a glance
| type | blue-white star (class B) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 412 light-years (126 pc) |
| its light left it | 412 years ago |
| luminosity | 4,440 × the Sun |
| radius | 4.59 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 22,000 K |
| constellation | Cassiopeia (Seated Queen) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Segin
Segin is a class B star, hot and blue-white, and far more luminous than the Sun. It lies much farther away than Caph or Ruchbah, which is why it looks the faintest of the five stars of the W even though it gives out more light than most of them.
In the familiar zigzag it is the end star nearest Perseus, after Ruchbah. Together the five stars form one of the easiest shapes in the northern sky to recognise, turning around the pole through the night.
What you see in the piece
From Earth Segin seems to sit beside Ruchbah. In the piece it lies far behind it, and the eastern end of the W stretches out into depth as soon as you leave the Earth’s viewpoint.
Questions
How far away is Segin?
Segin is 412 light-years (126 pc) from the Sun, much farther than most of the other stars of the W.