{"id":51723,"date":"2023-11-13T11:32:25","date_gmt":"2023-11-13T11:32:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/6c630968-b917-4ec2-8c2d-59a7839bac71"},"modified":"2023-11-13T12:32:30","modified_gmt":"2023-11-13T12:32:30","slug":"spot-star-markab-the-saddle-in-the-great-square-of-pegasus","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/spot-star-markab-the-saddle-in-the-great-square-of-pegasus\/","title":{"rendered":"Spot star Markab, the \u2018saddle\u2019 in the Great Square of Pegasus"},"content":{"rendered":"

Can you spot the star in the famous autumn asterism? <\/p>

By Pete Lawrence\n <\/p>

Published: Monday, 13 November 2023 at 11:32 AM<\/p>

\n\n

Star Markab (Alpha (\u03b1) Pegasi) is one of the four corner stars of the Great Square of Pegasus<\/a>, the one that marks the southwest corner to be precise.<\/p>

It\u2019s the third brightest in the Square asterism<\/a>, shining at mag. 2.5.<\/p>

Magnitude 2.1 Alpheratz (Alpha (\u03b1) Andromedae) in the northeast and mag. 2.4 Scheat (Beta (\u03b2) Pegasi) in the northwest are a little brighter<\/p>

Mag. 2.8 Algenib (Gamma (\u03b3) Pegasi) in the southeast is the faintest.<\/p>

Click on the image to zoom in. Chart showing the location of the Great Square of Pegasus asterism in the night sky. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Star Markab’s name<\/strong><\/h2>
The name Markab derives from the Arabic for \u2018saddle of the horse\u2019.<\/p>
In Chinese culture it forms an asterism with Scheat called the encampment, Markab being the \u2018first star of the encampment\u2019.<\/p>
The Square stars are white with the exception of Scheat, which appears orange.<\/p>
For more info, read our guides to Arabian astronomy<\/a> and Chinese astronomy<\/a><\/p>
Facts about star Markab<\/strong><\/h2>
Star Markab is an evolved subgiant star of spectral classification A0 IV.<\/p>
This means its core hydrogen has run out and the fusion of this element has stopped, or is in the process of stopping.<\/p>
Just to show how close to the tipping point Markab is, its spectrum is sometimes given as B9 V or B9.5 III \u2013 that\u2019s a hot blue-white dwarf or giant.<\/p>
Find out more about this in our guide to stellar spectral classifications<\/a>.<\/p>
Markab is estimated to be 133 lightyears away and has a mass 3.5 times, radius 4.6 times and luminosity 165 times larger than our own Sun.<\/p>
It\u2019s a fast rotator too, at 130 km\/s.<\/p>
The star is remarkable for not being remarkable, a normal star with no real deviations from what you\u2019d expect from it.<\/p>
As a consequence, it has been cited many times as a standard against which other stars are measured.<\/p>
This guide appeared in the October 2023 issue of BBC Sky at Night Magazine.<\/em><\/strong><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n
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