Alpha Trianguli Australis
Encyclopedia
Alpha Trianguli Australis (α TrA, α Trianguli Australis, traditionally also Atria) is a star
in the constellation
Triangulum Australe
.
Alpha Trianguli Australis is an orange K-type
bright giant
with an apparent magnitude
of +1.91. It is approximately 415 light years
from Earth
. There is evidence, though not watertight, that Atria may be a double star
.
Atria is known in traditional Chinese as 三角形三 (Mandarin
: sān jiǎo xín sān), the Third Star of the Triangle.
, symbolising the state of Rio Grande do Sul
.
Star
A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
in the constellation
Constellation
In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky....
Triangulum Australe
Triangulum Australe
Triangulum Australe is a small constellation in the southern sky, created in the sixteenth century. Its name is Latin for 'the southern triangle', which distinguishes it from Triangulum in the northern sky...
.
Alpha Trianguli Australis is an orange K-type
Stellar classification
In astronomy, stellar classification is a classification of stars based on their spectral characteristics. The spectral class of a star is a designated class of a star describing the ionization of its chromosphere, what atomic excitations are most prominent in the light, giving an objective measure...
bright giant
Bright giant
The luminosity class II in the Yerkes spectral classification is given to bright giants. These are stars which straddle the boundary between giants and supergiants, and the classification is in general given to giant stars with exceptionally high luminosity, but which are not sufficiently bright...
with an apparent magnitude
Apparent magnitude
The apparent magnitude of a celestial body is a measure of its brightness as seen by an observer on Earth, adjusted to the value it would have in the absence of the atmosphere...
of +1.91. It is approximately 415 light years
Light Years
Light Years is the seventh studio album by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue. It was released on 25 September 2000 by Parlophone and Mushroom Records. The album's style was indicative of her return to "mainstream pop dance tunes"....
from Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
. There is evidence, though not watertight, that Atria may be a double star
Double star
In observational astronomy, a double star is a pair of stars that appear close to each other in the sky as seen from Earth when viewed through an optical telescope. This can happen either because the pair forms a binary star, i.e...
.
Atria is known in traditional Chinese as 三角形三 (Mandarin
Standard Chinese
Standard Chinese, or Modern Standard Chinese, also known as Mandarin or Putonghua, is the official language of the People's Republic of China and Republic of China , and is one of the four official languages of Singapore....
: sān jiǎo xín sān), the Third Star of the Triangle.
Modern legacy
Atria appears on the flag of BrazilFlag of Brazil
The national flag of Brazil is a blue disc depicting a starry sky spanned by a curved band inscribed with the national motto, within a yellow rhombus, on a green field. Brazil officially adopted this design for its national flag on November 19, 1889, replacing the flag of the second Empire of Brazil...
, symbolising the state of Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state in Brazil, and the state with the fifth highest Human Development Index in the country. In this state is located the southernmost city in the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay. In the region of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul, the largest wine...
.