pole star<\/a> around 18,000 BC and will be again in another 5,500 years.<\/p>\nAlderamin is a white star of spectral class A8Vn, \u2018A8\u2019 placing it in the blue-white spectral region, closer to the white or yellow-white end.<\/p>\n
\u2018V\u2019 indicates it\u2019s a main sequence dwarf, the \u2018n\u2019 indicating that its spectrum contains broad absorption lines caused by a fast spin-rate.<\/p>\n
With a physical size 2.5 times larger than the Sun, the spin-rate for this star is high, one rotation taking just 12 hours.<\/p>\n
This translates to a rotational velocity around 283 km\/s, compared to the Sun\u2019s rather leisurely 2km\/s.<\/p>\n
An alternative spectral designation for Alderamin is A7V\u2013IV, which hints that it\u2019s moving off the main sequence branch and evolving into a subgiant (the \u2018IV\u2019 designation), something that happens when hydrogen fusion in a star\u2019s core begins to wane.<\/p>\n
Alderamin emits a similar amount of X-radiation as the Sun, something which is unexpected for an A-class star such as this.<\/p>\n
The reason is likely the rapid rotation rate which gives rise to huge convective currents within the star\u2019s interior.<\/p>\n
This guide originally appeared in the September 2022 issue of <\/strong><\/em>BBC Sky at Night Magazine<\/strong>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/body><\/html>\n
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