Tejat is a cool red star at the foot of Castor in Gemini, a swollen star near the end of its life that brightens and fades slightly as it pulsates.
At a glance
| type | red giant (class M) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 232 light-years (71 pc) |
| its light left it | 232 years ago |
| luminosity | 1,730 × the Sun |
| radius | 123 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 3,350 K |
| constellation | Gemini (Twins) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Tejat
Tejat is a red star near the end of its life, its outer layers expanded far beyond the Sun’s size and cooled to a deep orange-red. Like many such stars it varies a little in brightness, without a strict rhythm.
It stands with Propus at the foot of Castor, the western twin, the pair marking the feet near the edge of the Milky Way. Lying close to the ecliptic, it is sometimes passed by the Moon and planets.
What you see in the piece
Tejat and Propus look like a matched pair of red feet; in the piece they lie at different distances, both much farther than Castor and Pollux.
Questions
What kind of star is Tejat?
Tejat is a red giant (class M) with a surface temperature of 3,350 K and a radius 123 times the Sun’s.