Zaniah is a white star in Virgo, the Maiden, lying close to the ecliptic, so the Moon and the planets now and then pass in front of it.
At a glance
| type | white star (class A) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 265 light-years (81.4 pc) |
| its light left it | 265 years ago |
| luminosity | 184 × the Sun |
| radius | 5.59 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 8,990 K |
| constellation | Virgo (Maiden) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Zaniah
Zaniah is a white star of class A, hotter than the Sun, wider and far more luminous. Its name comes from the Arabic for a corner or angle, from an old figure in this part of the sky. Closer study shows it is not one star but a small multiple system whose members are too close to separate by eye.
Because it lies almost on the ecliptic, the Sun’s yearly path across the sky, Zaniah is regularly hidden by the Moon. These occultations, timed precisely as the star winks out behind the lunar edge, are one of the ways close companions of such stars are found.
What you see in the piece
In the piece Zaniah is drawn at its true distance and real brightness, an unremarkable white point in the Maiden. From space it loses its neighbours Porrima and Heze, which lie much nearer the Sun.
Questions
What kind of star is Zaniah?
Zaniah is a white star (class A), with a surface temperature of 8,990 K and 184 × the Sun’s luminosity.