Corona
Borealis (The Northern Crown) is a small constellation with a long
mythological history. To the ancient Greeks it was the princess' tiara
that was coveted by the Minotaur.To the Romans it was an Emperor's
wreath. To the ancient Celts it was "The Castle of the Silver Circle"
and the home of the goddess Aranrhodda. To the Native Americans it was a
Council of Elders. To the ancient Hebrews it was Astarte, a pagan
goddess, and thus a harbinger of ill. To the Arabs it was a necklace of
jewels.
The brightest jewel in the necklace is the Second Magnitude white star Alphecca, the name of which translates as "The Clasp." The star is referred to scientifically as Alpha Corona Borealis.
Alphecca is one of the fifteen Behenian stars, and to astrologers of the Middle Ages, Alphecca bestowed honor and steadfast friendship.
Gemma ("The Gem", an alternate name) is a binary star consisting of a white primary that is two and a half times the mass of the Sun, three times the Sun's radius, and 75 times the Sun's radiance. The primary is young, only about 300,000,000 years old, and it burns at 17,000 degrees Fahrenheit. There is a cloud of dust and gas around the primary, meaning that the star is in the early stages of planetary formation.
The secondary is a yellow star that is about 80% of the mass, radius, and luminosity of our Sun, and the same temperature. It is assumed to be roughly the same age as our Sun, and may have a planetary system. The two Alpheccas orbit each other about once every eighteen days, and can be seen eclipsing each other. They are very close together, possibly as far from each other as Venus is from our Sun. How this proximity affects any planets and planetary formation is an unknown.
Alphecca is the 41st star in the Nautical Almanac.
The brightest jewel in the necklace is the Second Magnitude white star Alphecca, the name of which translates as "The Clasp." The star is referred to scientifically as Alpha Corona Borealis.
Alphecca is one of the fifteen Behenian stars, and to astrologers of the Middle Ages, Alphecca bestowed honor and steadfast friendship.
Gemma ("The Gem", an alternate name) is a binary star consisting of a white primary that is two and a half times the mass of the Sun, three times the Sun's radius, and 75 times the Sun's radiance. The primary is young, only about 300,000,000 years old, and it burns at 17,000 degrees Fahrenheit. There is a cloud of dust and gas around the primary, meaning that the star is in the early stages of planetary formation.
The secondary is a yellow star that is about 80% of the mass, radius, and luminosity of our Sun, and the same temperature. It is assumed to be roughly the same age as our Sun, and may have a planetary system. The two Alpheccas orbit each other about once every eighteen days, and can be seen eclipsing each other. They are very close together, possibly as far from each other as Venus is from our Sun. How this proximity affects any planets and planetary formation is an unknown.
Alphecca is the 41st star in the Nautical Almanac.
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