Orion is one of the most popular constellations in the night sky. So don’t be surprised, if the stars of the residents are also popular, one of them is Alnilam or Epsilon orionis.
Star Alnilam is one of three popular stars to occupy the Orion belt after Alnitak and Mintaka. This star is classified as a supergiant that emits blue light.
Curious as to what more details? Let’s take a look at these 5 facts.
1. Located in the center of the Orion belt
The star Alnilam is located in the center of the Orion belt, one of the most popular asterisms in the night sky. This star is accompanied by two other stars on its left and right, namely Alnitak and Mintaka.
Reported Star Facts, Alnilam is the brightest, largest, and most distant star than Alnitak and Mintaka. In addition, this star 1,977 light-years from Earth is the only single star in Orion’s belt. While the other two are double stars.
–
2. Classified as a blue supergiant star
illustrasi Alnilam (Davide De Martin & the ESA / ESO / NASA via esahubble.org)–
Alnilam is classified as a blue supergiant star in the constellation Orion. This is because the star belongs to the spectral type B0 Ia star, which emits very hot white-blue light.
Alnilam has an apparent magnitude of 1.69. This star is also included in the variable star classification of the Alpha Cygny class. This causes Alnilam’s brightness to fluctuate from 1.69 to -1.74.
Also read: 5 Facts about Orion, the Constellation of the Hunter that you can easily find
–
3. Will end his life as a supernova
Continue reading the article below
Editor’s picks
–
stellar supernova illustration (carnegiescience.edu)–
Reported Sky and Telescope, Alnilam will end his life as a supernova, namely the explosion of a super large star. However, before entering the final phase, this star will turn into a red giant first.
Not only supernovae, Alnilam will also create black holes or black hole in the final phase. This is because the center star of the Orion belt is a supergiant star, which will explode once its fuel runs out.
–
4. Bigger than the Sun
Alnilam star illustration (Doc. wikisky via star-facts.com)–
Reported The Nine Planets that Alnilam has a size that is 30 times larger than the sun. In addition, this star also has a mass that is 40 times heavier than the central star of our solar system.
Meanwhile, Alnilam emits an extraordinarily bright light, which is 537,000 times that of the Sun. The temperature of this star is also very hot, which is around 27,226 degrees celsius.
–
5. Included in the navigation star list
Alnilam illustration in Orion (wikimedia.org/Keesscherer)–
Reported Astronomytrek, Alnilam is included in the list of navigation stars, which is the brightest star and is easy to recognize. This star is one of the brightest stars in the night sky, occupying the 29th position to be exact.
Meanwhile, in the constellation Orion, Alnilam is the 4th brightest star after Rigel, Betelgeuse, and Bellatrix. Plus, this Epsilon Orionis inhabits the easily recognizable Orion belt asterism in the night sky.
Those are 5 facts about the blue supergiant star Alnilam in the constellation Orion. Considering he is a navigation star who inhabits a popular constellation, are you one of those who have seen him?
Also read: 10 Facts about the Orionid Meteor Shower, which is often called a ‘falling star’
–
IDN Times Community is a medium that provides a platform for writing. All written works are the sole responsibility of the author.
–
