Eta Aquilae
Encyclopedia
Eta Aquilae is a star
in the constellation
Aquila
. It was also part of the former constellation Antinous
. It is a Cepheid variable star, varying from apparent magnitude
3.5 to 4.4 with a period of 7.176641 days. Along with Delta Cephei
, Zeta Geminorum
and Beta Doradus
, it is one of the most prominent naked eye
Cepheids; that is, both the star itself and the variation in its brightness can be distinguished by the naked eye. Some other Cepheids such as Polaris
are bright but have only a very small variation in brightness.
It is about 1200 light years from Earth. It is a yellow-white supergiant
, and is about 3000 times more luminous than the Sun
, with a diameter about 60 times that of the Sun.
In Chinese
, , meaning Celestial Drumstick
, refers to an asterism consisting of η Aquilae, θ Aquilae
, 62 Aquilae
and 58 Aquilae
. Consequently, η Aquilae itself is known as
This star, along with δ Aql
(Denebokab) and θ Aql
(Tseen Foo) and , were Al Mizān (ألميزان), the Scale-beam.. According to the catalogue of stars in the Technical Memorandum 33-507 - A Reduced Star Catalog Containing 537 Named Stars, Al Mizān were the title for three stars :δ Aql
as Al Mizān I,η Aql as Al Mizān II and θ Aql
as Al Mizān III
Star
A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
in the constellation
Constellation
In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky....
Aquila
Aquila (constellation)
Aquila is a stellar constellation. Its name is Latin for 'eagle' and it is commonly represented as such. In mythology, Aquila was owned by the Roman god Jupiter and performed many tasks for him....
. It was also part of the former constellation Antinous
Antinous (constellation)
Antinous is an obsolete constellation no longer in use by astronomers, having been merged into Aquila, which it bordered to the North.The constellation was created by the emperor Hadrian in 132. According to legend, Hadrian was told by an oracle that only death of his most beloved person would save...
. It is a Cepheid variable star, varying from apparent magnitude
Apparent magnitude
The apparent magnitude of a celestial body is a measure of its brightness as seen by an observer on Earth, adjusted to the value it would have in the absence of the atmosphere...
3.5 to 4.4 with a period of 7.176641 days. Along with Delta Cephei
Delta Cephei
Delta Cephei is a binary star system approximately 891 light-years away in the constellation of Cepheus . Delta Cephei is the prototype of the Cepheid variable stars, and it is among the closest stars of this type to the Sun...
, Zeta Geminorum
Zeta Geminorum
Zeta Geminorum is a star in the constellation Gemini. It has the traditional name Mekbuda.The name Mekbuda has roots in ancient Arabic where it and the star Mebsuta were the paws of a lion...
and Beta Doradus
Beta Doradus
Beta Doradus is the second brightest star in the constellation of Dorado. It is a Cepheid variable, with an apparent visual magnitude which varies between 3.46 and 4.08. Its spectral type and luminosity class are likewise variable, from F-type to G-type and from a supergiant to a bright...
, it is one of the most prominent naked eye
Naked eye
The naked eye is a figure of speech referring to human visual perception unaided by a magnifying or light-collecting optical device, such as a telescope or microscope. Vision corrected to normal acuity using corrective lenses is considered "naked"...
Cepheids; that is, both the star itself and the variation in its brightness can be distinguished by the naked eye. Some other Cepheids such as Polaris
Polaris
Polaris |Alpha]] Ursae Minoris, commonly North Star or Pole Star, also Lodestar) is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor. It is very close to the north celestial pole, making it the current northern pole star....
are bright but have only a very small variation in brightness.
It is about 1200 light years from Earth. It is a yellow-white supergiant
Supergiant
Supergiants are among the most massive stars. They occupy the top region of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. In the Yerkes spectral classification, supergiants are class Ia or Ib . They typically have bolometric absolute magnitudes between -5 and -12...
, and is about 3000 times more luminous than the Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
, with a diameter about 60 times that of the Sun.
Name
Sometimes, this star is called by the name Bezek, derived the Hebrew word בֶזֶק bazak, meaning "lightning".In Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
, , meaning Celestial Drumstick
Ox (Chinese constellation)
The Ox mansion is one of the Twenty-eight mansions of the Chinese constellations. It is one of the northern mansions of the Black Tortoise.-Asterisms:...
, refers to an asterism consisting of η Aquilae, θ Aquilae
Theta Aquilae
Theta Aquilae is a binary star in the constellation Aquila. It is approximately 287 light years from Earth. It has the traditional name Tseen Foo, which is derived from the Mandarin 天桴 tiānfú meaning "the heavenly raft"; it may also mean drumsticks, with Altair, Beta Aquilae and Gamma Aquilae...
, 62 Aquilae
62 Aquilae
62 Aquilae is a star in the constellation Aquila. Its apparent magnitude is 5.67....
and 58 Aquilae
58 Aquilae
58 Aquilae is a star in the constellation Aquila. Its apparent magnitude is 5.60.It is a constellation in the Northern Hemisphere and the Milky Way near Aquarius and Serpens Cauda....
. Consequently, η Aquilae itself is known as
This star, along with δ Aql
Delta Aquilae
Delta Aquilae is a triple star system in the constellation Aquila. It is approximately 50.1 light years from Earth.Sometimes, this star is called by the name Denebokab, meaning the tail of eagle in Arabic...
(Denebokab) and θ Aql
Theta Aquilae
Theta Aquilae is a binary star in the constellation Aquila. It is approximately 287 light years from Earth. It has the traditional name Tseen Foo, which is derived from the Mandarin 天桴 tiānfú meaning "the heavenly raft"; it may also mean drumsticks, with Altair, Beta Aquilae and Gamma Aquilae...
(Tseen Foo) and , were Al Mizān (ألميزان), the Scale-beam.. According to the catalogue of stars in the Technical Memorandum 33-507 - A Reduced Star Catalog Containing 537 Named Stars, Al Mizān were the title for three stars :δ Aql
Delta Aquilae
Delta Aquilae is a triple star system in the constellation Aquila. It is approximately 50.1 light years from Earth.Sometimes, this star is called by the name Denebokab, meaning the tail of eagle in Arabic...
as Al Mizān I,η Aql as Al Mizān II and θ Aql
Theta Aquilae
Theta Aquilae is a binary star in the constellation Aquila. It is approximately 287 light years from Earth. It has the traditional name Tseen Foo, which is derived from the Mandarin 天桴 tiānfú meaning "the heavenly raft"; it may also mean drumsticks, with Altair, Beta Aquilae and Gamma Aquilae...
as Al Mizān III