Information AboutAntares |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT ANTARES | |
| bayer objects | |
| scorpii, alpha | |
| binary stars | |
| blue-white dwarfs | |
| red supergiants | |
| scorpius constellation | |
Antares (α Scorpii / Alpha Scorpii) is the brightest star in the Constellation Scorpius and The Sixteenth Brightest Star in the nighttime sky (sometimes listed as fifteenth brightest, if the two brighter components of the Capella quadruple star system are counted as one star). Along with Aldebaran , Spica , and Regulus it is one of the four brightest stars near the Ecliptic . The similarly colored Aldebaran lies almost directly opposite Antares in the Zodiac . ANTARES IN ANCIENT CULTURES Antares' name derives from the Greek ''Αντάρης'', meaning "(holds) against Ares (Mars)", due to the similarity of its Red dish hue to the appearance of the planet Mars . Its distinctive Coloration has made the star an object of interest to many societies throughout history. According to ancient Arab tradition, Antares is the warrior-poet Antar 's star. Many of the old Egyptian Temple s are oriented so that the light of Antares plays a role in the ceremonies performed there. Some writers claim that it is the "lance star" referred to in the Biblical book of Job . Antares was also known as Satevis in ancient Persia and was one of the four " Royal Stars " of the Persians around 3000 BC. It was also known as Jyeshtha in ancient India. In the religion of Stregheria , Antares is a Fallen Angel and Quarter Guardian of the Western Gate . In astrology Antares is one of the Behenian Fixed Star s and has the symbol . PROPERTIES Antares and the Sun. The black circle is the size of the orbit of Mars. Arcturus is also included in the picture for size comparison.]] Antares is a Class M Supergiant Star , with a diameter of approximately 700 times solar. I.e., if Antares were placed in the centre of our solar system, its outer surface would lie between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Antares is approximately 600 Light Year s from our solar system. Its visual Luminosity is about 10,000 times that of the Sun , but because the star radiates a considerable part of its energy in the Infrared part of the Spectrum , the bolometric luminosity equals roughly 65,000 times that of the Sun. The mass of the star is calculated to be 15 to 18 Solar Mass es.James Kaler, "Antares". http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/~kaler/sow/antares.html Accessed 2/3/07. Its large size and relatively small mass give Antares a very low average density. The best time to view Antares is on or around May 31 of each year, when the star is at "opposition" to the Sun . At this time, Antares rises at dusk and sets at dawn, and is thus in view all night (depending on your position on Earth). For approximately two to three weeks on either side of November 30 , Antares is not visible at all, being lost in the Sun's glare; this period of invisibility is longer in the Northern Hemisphere than in the Southern Hemisphere , since the star's Declination is significantly south of the celestial equator. Companion star Antares has a hot blue for a few seconds during lunar Occultation s while Antares itself is hidden by the Moon ; it was discovered during one such occultation on April 13 1819 . The orbit is poorly known, with an estimated Period of 878 years. Position on the ecliptic Antares is one of the 4 first magnitude stars which lie within 5° of the ecliptic and therefore can be Occulted by the Moon and rarely by the planets. On 17 Nov 2400 Antares will be occulted by Venus . Of the 21 first-magnitude stars, Antares now lies farthest in angular distance from any other first-magnitude star; i.e. it is possible to draw a larger circle centered around Antares without including any other first-magnitude star inside that circle, than around any other first-magnitude star. The nearest first-magnitude star to Antares is Alpha Centauri , lying approximately 39°6.75′ away. The high Proper Motion of Alpha Centauri is gradually increasing this angle. Before about March 2000, Achernar and Fomalhaut held this distinction of being the most isolated from other first-magnitude stars. SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
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