Fomalhaut
Product information
Description
Fomalhaut sparkles in the southern sky as a bright white star, often appearing solitary due to the sparse nearby stars. Its brightness, position near the celestial equator, and surrounding disk make it a favorite among both visual stargazers and astrophysicists.
Additional Information
- Constellation
- Piscis Austrinus
- Spectral Type
- A3V
- Apparent Magnitude
- 1.16
- Distance (Light Years)
- 25.1
- Right Ascension
- 22h 57m 39.0s
- Declination
- −29° 37′ 20″
- Solar Masses
- 1.92
- Radius (Solar)
- 1.84
- Temperature (Kelvin)
- 8590
- Age (Million Years)
- 440
Discovery
- Ancient Civilizations
- Greeks, Arabs, Babylonians
- Historical Significance
- Fomalhaut has been known since antiquity and was one of the four 'Royal Stars' of Persia, marking the southern guardian of the sky. Its Arabic name, derived from 'Fum al-Hut', means 'Mouth of the Fish'.
Cultural Significance
- Mythology
- In ancient Mesopotamian and Greek astronomy, Fomalhaut was associated with watery constellations. Its role as the mouth of the Southern Fish made it a symbolic link between celestial and earthly waters.
- Navigation
- Due to its brightness and isolation in the southern sky, Fomalhaut was a vital navigational beacon, especially in the Southern Hemisphere.
- Modern Reference
- Fomalhaut has gained popularity in modern astronomy as one of the first stars known to host a directly imaged exoplanet. It’s also studied for its prominent debris disk — a feature similar to our Solar System’s Kuiper Belt.
Notable Features
- Stellar Motion
- Fomalhaut exhibits modest proper motion and is relatively close to Earth, allowing detailed observation of its surrounding planetary system.
- Additional Fact
- Fomalhaut is surrounded by a large, dusty debris disk and was the first star with an exoplanet candidate (Fomalhaut b) imaged directly in visible light by the Hubble Space Telescope.
User Dedications
- Dedications
- This star has not been claimed yet. Be the first to dedicate it to someone special!