Taiyangshou is an orange giant among the stars of the Great Bear’s hind legs, carrying a name drawn from traditional Chinese astronomy.
At a glance
| type | orange giant (class K) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 184 light-years (56.3 pc) |
| its light left it | 184 years ago |
| luminosity | 117 × the Sun |
| radius | 13.6 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 5,150 K |
| constellation | Ursa Major (Great Bear) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Taiyangshou
The facts describe a star that has left the main sequence and swollen, larger and more luminous than the Sun and cooler at the surface, so it shines orange.
Its name comes from Chinese astronomy, which divided the sky into its own groupings quite unlike the Greek figures, and was adopted for this star by the IAU. It lies below the bowl of the Plough, among the fainter stars that draw the Bear’s legs.
What you see in the piece
In the piece it is drawn at its real distance and brightness, unrelated in depth to the bright stars of the Plough above it.
Questions
What kind of star is Taiyangshou?
An orange giant (class K), about 13.6 times the Sun’s radius and 117 times its luminosity, at 184 light-years (56.3 pc).