The Nautical Almanac # 8 --- Menkar, the Nose of the Whale

The eighth star in the Nautical Almanac, Menkar (Alpha Ceti), is the second-brightest star in the constellation Cetus (the Whale or Sea Monster). It lies 248 light years from Earth. In telescopes, it appears to have a blue companion, but this is an illusion, since the companion is hundreds of light years beyond it. The name "Menkar" means "nose" or "nostril" in Arabic due to its position in the constellation, and Menkar is distinguished by its prominence in that area of the night sky even though it is only a second magnitude star. It is a red supergiant, about 89 times the diameter of our Sun, but with only twice the mass and a significantly lower temperature of only 6,000 degrees F. compared to the Sun's 10,000 degrees. It is an old star, far along in its stellar life; having consumed all of its hydrogen and helium, it is just beginning to burn carbon.