The Fourteenth star in the Nautical Almanac, Elnath (Beta Tauri) is the second brightest star in the constellation Taurus The Bull. The name, sometimes spelled El Nath or Al-Nath, means "The Butting Horn" in Arabic, and Elnath forms the tip of one of the Bull's horns. It lies right along the ecliptic (the Sun's apparent pathway through the sky) and is often occulted (blocked) by the Moon or in conjunction with various of the planets. Elnath is the closest bright star to the Galactic Epicenter (the heart of the Milky Way).
Elnath is a very hot star. It burns white with a blue tinge, and it sparkles due to the high concentration of mercury and manganese, two metals, in its makeup. Elnath burns at 24,000 degrees Fahrenheit, has 4.5 times the mass of our Sun, has 700 times the Sun's luminosity, and is about 4.5 times the radius of the Sun. It is a first magnitude star in our skies, and lies 130 light years from Earth.
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