The constellation of Andromeda, the Chained Woman // E. Slawik, NOIRLab, NSF, AURA, & M. Zamani
Click below for an annotated image and some facts about the stars that make up Andromeda!
In order of brightness:
Alpheratz (α Andromedae) is a binary star system consisting of two blue-white giant stars about 97 light years away. The name comes from the Arabic phrase surrat al-faras meaning "navel of the horse."
Mirach (β Andromedae) is solitary red giant star about 197 light years away. The name comes from the Arabic word mīzar meaning "girdle."
Almach (γ Andromedae) is a quadruple star systme about 390 light years away. The primary is an orange supergiant star with a few blue-white stellar companions. The name comes from the Arabic word al-‘anāq meaning "desert lynx."
δ Andromedae is an unnamed triple star system about 105 light years away. It consists of an orange giant, and two red dwarfs.
Nembus (51 Andromedae) is a solitary orange giant star about 169 light years away. Its name was given to it in 1603 in a famous stellar atlas called the Uranometria, although it is of unknown origin.
Alfarasalkamil (o Andromedae) is a potential quadruple star system about 690 light years away. The primary star is a blue-white giant star. The name comes from the Arabic phrase Al Faras al Kamil meaning "the complete horse," as opposed to the constellation Pegasus, which is only the front half of a horse.
Udkadua (λ Andromedae) is a binary star system dominated by a Sun-like star. The system is about 85 light years away. The name comes from a Sumerian word udkadua meaning "the storm demon with the gaping mouth."
μ Andromedae is an unnamed binary star system about 122 light years away. It is dominated by a blue-white giant star.
Shimu (ζ Andromedae) is a binary star system about 181 light years away, consisting of an orange giant and a red dwarf. The name comes from a Chinese phrase Tian Shi Mu meaning "the eye of the celestial pig."
Kaffalmusalsala (κ Andromedae) is a solitary blue-white giant star about 168 light years away. Its name comes from the Arabic phrase Kaff al-Musalsala meaning "the hand of the chained woman."
Junnanmen (φ Andromedae) is a binary star system about 720 light years away. Both components are blue giant star. The name comes from Chinese astronomy: Jūnnánmén (軍南門) means "southern military gate."
Rasalnaqa (ι Andromedae) is a single blue giant star about 510 light years away. Its name comes from the Arabic phrase Ra’s al-Nāqa meaning "head of the she-camel."
π Andromedae is an unnamed binary star system consisting of two blue-white giant stars about 580 light years away.
ε Andromedae is an unnamed solitary yellow giant star about 169 light years away.
Kui (η Andromedae) is a binary system consisting of two yellow giant stars about 260 light years away. The name comes from Chinese astronomer: Kuí Sù (奎宿) means "legs."
ν Andromedae is an unnamed binary system consisting of two blue-white giant stars about 560 light years away.
Not part of the lines that make up the constellation, but named, is Titawin (υ Andromedae), a binary star consisting of a white giant star and a red dwarf about 44 light years away. The name comes from the Berber name Tiṭṭawin.
In the top left is Alpheratz (α Andromedae), the second-brightest star in Andromeda, the Chained Woman. It is a binary star system about 97 light years from Earth. The name comes from the Arabic phrase surrat al-faras meaning "navel of the horse."
In the top right is Betelgeuse (α Orionis), the second-brightest star in Orion, the Hunter. It is a solitary red supergiant star about 500 light years from Earth. Its name comes from the Arabic phrase Yad al-Jawzā’ meaning "the hand of al-Jawzā."
At the bottom left is Markab (α Pegasi), the third-brightest star in Pegasus, the Winged Horse. It is a solitary blue-white giant star about 133 light years from Earth. Its name comes from the Arabic word markab meaning "the saddle of the horse."
At the bottom right is Scheat (β Pegasi), the second-brightest star in Pegasus, the Winged Horse. It is a solitary red supergiant star about 196 light years from Earth. Its name comes from the Arabic phrase Al Sā'id meaning "the upper arm."
Read below the cut for some info about some of the stars in this image as well as an annotated image to guide the eye!
Starting with Pegasus first, in order of brightness:
Scheat (β Pegasi) is a red giant star that forms the upper right corner of the Great Square. It is about 196 light years away and has swelled to over 100 times the size of the Sun. Its name comes from the Arabic phrase Al Sā'id meaning "the upper arm".
Markab (α Pegasi) is a blue-white star located about 133 light years away, marking the lower right corner of the Great Square. Its name comes from an Arabic word markab meaning "the saddle of the horse".
Algenib (γ Pegasi) is a blue subgiant star about 470 light years away and marks the lower left corner of the Great Square. It has a mass of about 9 times that of the Sun. Its name comes from the Arabic word al-jānib meaning "the flank".
Matar (η Pegasi) is a yellow-white star about 196 light years away. It is a binary system, with the primary being about 25 times larger than the Sun. Its name comes from the Arabic phrase Saʽd al Maṭar meaning "lucky star of rain".
Homam (ζ Pegasi) is a blue star about 204 light years away. It is only about 4 times as large as the Sun, but is emitting over 200 times the light. The origin of the name is unclear, but it likely comes from the Arabic phrase Sa'd al Humam meaning "lucky star of the hero."
Sadalbari (μ Pegasi) is a yellow giant star about 113 light years from Earth and is about 9 times the size of the Sun. Its name comes from the Arabic phrase saʿd al-bāriʿ meaning "the lucky star of the splendid one."
ι Pegasi is a binary star system about 39 light years away. The primary is a yellow-white star about the mass of the Sun but 1.5 times the size.
λ Pegasi is a yellow giant star about 365 light years away. It is about 1.5 times the mass of the Sun, but over 28 times the size of the Sun.
Next up are the few stars in Andromeda, in order of brightness:
Alpheratz (α Andromedae) is a binary star system that forms the upper left corner of the Great Square. The primary is a blue-white star with about 3.5 times the mass of the Sun. The entire system is located about 97 light years from Earth. Its name comes from the Arabic phrase surrat al-faras meaning "navel of the horse".
Mirach (β Andromedae) is a red giant star about 200 light years from Earth. It is only about 2.5 times as massive as the Sun, but has swelled to over 85 times that of the Sun. Its name comes from the Arabic word mīzar meaning "girdle".
δ Andromedae is a triple star system about 105 light years from Earth. The primary is a orange giant star about the mass of the Sun, but about 13 times the size.
μ Andromedae is a blue-white star about 130 light years from Earth. It is about twice the mass and three times the size of the Sun.
ν Andromedae is a binary star system about 620 light years from Earth and appears very close to the Andromeda Galaxy on the sky. The primary is a blue star about six times as massive as the Sun.
Finally, two stars in Pisces:
ν Piscium is a binary star system about 365 light years away. The primary is an orange giant star about 1.6 times the mass of the Sun with almost 35 times the size.
τ Piscium is an orange giant star about 169 light years away. It is slightly more massive than the Sun, but 10 times the size.
