Menkar in Cetus the Whale
Menkar isn’t the brightest star in Cetus the Whale. As a substitute, Diphda – aka Deneb Kaitos, the Whale’s Tail – is brightest. And Menkar isn’t even the Whale’s most well-known star. That honor goes to Mira, typically known as Mira the Great, a famend variable star.
Nonetheless, Menkar is an fascinating star, with its personal claims to fame. It’s the 2nd-brightest star in Cetus at a +2.6 magnitude. And it’s designated the alpha star in Cetus. Why? It might be as a result of Menkar sits nearer to the ecliptic, which marks the sun’s yearly circuit in entrance of the background stars.
What’s extra, Star Trek followers may acknowledge the title Menkar. Hold studying to study extra about this star.
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The Whale’s alpha star in TV and movie
Howdy, Star Trek followers! Bear in mind the star that performed a key function in an authentic Star Trek episode known as Area Seed (1967)? And the second Star Trek movie Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) additionally featured it.
Khan and his crew are exiled to the planet Ceti Alpha V in Area Seed, and so they escape from there in Wrath of Khan after the planet turns into uninhabitable. Ceti Alpha. Alpha Ceti. It’s named after Menkar, regardless of its flipped Bayer designation.
By the best way, as of December 5, 2023, there are 5,552 confirmed exoplanets in 4,091 planetary programs, with 887 programs having a couple of planet. Nevertheless, there aren’t any identified planets round Menkar (Alpha Ceti).
Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan (1982) was the primary movie to have a scene created completely by CG graphics and the primary time a film had been launched that was a sequel to a TV present episode, following on because it does from the Star Trek episode Area Seed (1967). pic.twitter.com/FWwhhEZZOK
— FilmFrame (@FilmFrameATRM) August 9, 2019
When is one of the best time to see Menkar?
As seen from northern temperate and polar latitudes, Menkar shines due south round 9 p.m. your native time across the December winter solstice (on or close to December 21). As a result of all the celebs, besides the sun, return to the identical place within the sky about 2 hours earlier with every passing month, that locations Menkar highest up and due south round 7 p.m. on January 21.
The V-shaped Hyades star cluster – Face of the Bull within the constellation Taurus – serves as a directional arrow, pointing the best way to the star Menkar. Maintain your fist at arm’s size. Then hop two fist-widths from the purpose of the “V” to find Menkar’s approximate place within the star-studded heavens.
It’s fairly straightforward to see Menkar and the circle of stars outlining the Head of Cetus the Whale in a darkish sky. Within the lore of the sky, this fearsome creature virtually devoured up the Princess Andromeda, the daughter of King Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia. However Perseus the hero rescued the Ethiopian princess within the nick of time.
Alpha Ceti is a pulsating red giant star ? 249 gentle years away in Cetus
Notes: About 48 instances the radius and 380 instances brighter than our Solar ?
(Click on hyperlink to discover the Milky Way ? and past)https://t.co/rOzvZewby5 pic.twitter.com/um1xbmbvLr
— MR Humble ????? (@Todd_Scheve) February 14, 2019
Science of Menkar
A small telescope reveals Menkar to be a colourful double star. The orange big star, Menkar, contrasts with its fainter blue-white companion, the star 93 Ceti. These two stars should not bodily associated. They only occur to lie alongside our line of sight, as seen from Earth. Menkar resides some 250 light-years away, whereas 93 Ceti lies at about twice that distance away.
Menkar’s ruddy complexion reveals that it’s a cool star within the autumn of its years, and 93 Ceti’s blue-white radiance signifies a sizzling star within the heyday of youth.
Menkar has about twice the sun’s mass. Nevertheless, Menkar is in a unique stage of its evolution than our sun. The truth is, it has exhausted the hydrogen and helium gasoline at its core and has expanded to develop into a large star with about 89 instances the radius of our sun. The big space of Menkar’s photosphere – or seen outer layer – implies that it’s emitting about 1,455 instances as a lot vitality because the sun, though the efficient temperature is barely 3,795 K (in comparison with 5,778 Ok on the sun). The low temperature is the rationale Menkar shines with a reddish hue.
Purple stars are cooler than white stars, simply as pink sizzling on Earth signifies one thing cooler than white sizzling.
As Menkar continues to evolve – and to burn carbon at its core – it’s thought this star will develop into unstable and finally develop into a variable star. So, maybe it’ll be much like Mira, Cetus the Whale’s well-known variable star.
Backside line: The star Menkar is the alpha star within the constellation Cetus the Whale. Historical past, lore, claims to fame, and science info right here.
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