Fomalhaut (Alpha Piscis Austrini)
 |
Artists's impression of the Fomalhaut system. Art by David A. Hardy, courtesy Royal Observatory, Edinburgh
|
The brightest star in the constellation Piscis Austrinis; its name (pronounced "fo-ma-low") comes from the Arabic "Fum Al Hut" meaning "the fish's mouth." A nearby main sequence A star, it was found by the Infrared Astronomy Satellite to have a dust disk, similar to that around Vega, four times the size of the Sun's planetary system. Observations of Fomalhaut's disk have revealed a central clearing and a warp further out that may be caused by a planet with roughly the mass of Saturn. Fomalhaut is only about 200 million years old and may offer a glimpse of what our own Solar System was like some 4.3 billion years ago.
| Visual magnitude |
1.17 |
| Absolute magnitude |
1.74 |
| Spectral type |
A3V |
| Surface temperature |
8,500 K |
| Luminosity |
16 Lsun |
| Distance |
25 light-years |
| Position |
R.A. 22h 57m 39.1s,
Dec. -29° 37' 20" |
Related entry
• brightest stars
Related category
• NOTABLE STARS
Also on this site:
Encyclopedia of Alternative Energy & Sustainable Living
Encyclopedia of History
Transport Concepts & Designs (partner site)
BACK TO TOP
|
