Beta Aquarii
Encyclopedia
Beta Aquarii (β Aqr, β Aquarii) is a triple star in the constellation
Aquarius
. It has the traditional name Sadalsuud, from an Arabic
expression سعد السعود sa‘d al-su‘ūd, the "luck of lucks". Other spellings that are sometimes encountered are Sad es Saud, Sadalsund, and Saad el Sund.
In the catalogue of stars in the Calendarium of Al Achsasi Al Mouakket, this star was designated Nir Saad al Saaoud, which was translated into Latin
as Lucida Fortunæ Fortunarum (rather identic with R.H. Allen), meaning the brightest of luck of lucks.
of +2.91. It is a member of a rare class of stars known as yellow supergiant
s. Similar to the Sun
, it is a Class G star, yet with a slightly cooler surface temperature of 5,600 Kelvin. Its total bolometric
luminosity is 2,200 times solar, however, implying a radius that is 50 times that of the Sun and a mass that is 6 times solar. As a result, Sadalsuud's absolute magnitude
is estimated at -3.46; due to its distance of 610 light years from Earth, its appearance is reduced to third magnitude
. Sadalsuud belongs to the spectral class G0Ib.
(i.e.Egyptian, Persian
and Islamic
mythology), Sadalsuud relates to the rising of the Sun when winter has passed (March) and the season of gentle, continuous rain has begun. So the myth
of "luck" or "good fortune" was seen as closely aligned with the essence of spring itself, the burgeoning of new life, and by extension agriculture, which in all societies is the very foundation of prosperity or "good fortune". This mythological view of "the luck of the lucks" also belongs to the 22d Manzil
(Arabic Lunar Mansion)
, which included the two stars Bunda
(ξ Aqr) and c Cap
.
β and ξ Aquarii also constitute the Persian lunar mansion Bunda and the similar Coptic mansion Upuineuti, the meaning of which is "the Foundation".
In Chinese mythology, β Aqr alone marks the sieu (Chinese Lunar Mansion) Heu, Hiu, or Hü, "the Void", anciently Ko, the central one of the seven sieu which, taken together, were known as Heung Wu, the Black Warrior, in the northern quarter of the sky. As such, Sadalsuud is an expression of the feminine archetype
, the Yin
or "Void" (Cosmic Mother), from which, many cultures have believed, creation itself
(birth) emanates.
In Chinese, , meaning Emptiness
(asterism), refers to an asterism consisting of β Aquarii and α Equulei
. Consequently, β Aquarii itself is known as
Sadalsuud is found in Hindu texts as Kalpeny and in the context of the ancient Indian system of astronomy, Jyotisha Veda
, is located in the 23rd Nakshatra
Shravishthā, a lunar mansion which is ruled by Eight vasu
s - the "deities of earthly abundance" . On the Euphrates, Sadalsuud was known as Kakkab Nammaχ, the Star of Mighty Destiny; that may have given origin to the title of the manzil, as well as to the astrologers' name for it — Fortuna Fortunarum.
"Sadalsuud" is the name given to what appears to be a single star to the naked eye but when viewed with a telescope
is seen to be a triple or multiple star
. The primary component, β Aqr A, has two optical components:
The first β Aqr B has an apparent magnitude
of 11.0. In 1947, the position angle
was observed at 321 degrees with a separation from the main star of 35.4 arcseconds.
The second star, β Aqr C, has a magnitude of 11.6. Its position angle is 186 degrees with a separation from the main star β Aqr A of 57.2 arcseconds.
There is no definitive evidence to date that the three stars comprising Sadalsuud form a ternary star system.
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....
Aquarius
Aquarius (constellation)
Aquarius is a constellation of the zodiac, situated between Capricornus and Pisces. Its name is Latin for "water-bearer" or "cup-bearer", and its symbol is , a representation of water....
. It has the traditional name Sadalsuud, from an Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
expression سعد السعود sa‘d al-su‘ūd, the "luck of lucks". Other spellings that are sometimes encountered are Sad es Saud, Sadalsund, and Saad el Sund.
In the catalogue of stars in the Calendarium of Al Achsasi Al Mouakket, this star was designated Nir Saad al Saaoud, which was translated into Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
as Lucida Fortunæ Fortunarum (rather identic with R.H. Allen), meaning the brightest of luck of lucks.
Properties
Sadalsuud is the brightest star in Aquarius with an apparent magnitudeApparent 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 +2.91. It is a member of a rare class of stars known as yellow supergiant
Yellow supergiant
A yellow supergiant is a supergiant star of spectral type F or G. These stars usually have masses between 15 and 20 solar masses. These stars, like any other supergiant,...
s. Similar to the Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
, it is a Class G star, yet with a slightly cooler surface temperature of 5,600 Kelvin. Its total bolometric
Bolometer
A bolometer is a device for measuring the power of incident electromagnetic radiation via the heating of a material with a temperature-dependent electrical resistance. It was invented in 1878 by the American astronomer Samuel Pierpont Langley...
luminosity is 2,200 times solar, however, implying a radius that is 50 times that of the Sun and a mass that is 6 times solar. As a result, Sadalsuud's absolute magnitude
Absolute magnitude
Absolute magnitude is the measure of a celestial object's intrinsic brightness. it is also the apparent magnitude a star would have if it were 32.6 light years away from Earth...
is estimated at -3.46; due to its distance of 610 light years from Earth, its appearance is reduced to third magnitude
Magnitude (astronomy)
Magnitude is the logarithmic measure of the brightness of an object, in astronomy, measured in a specific wavelength or passband, usually in optical or near-infrared wavelengths.-Background:...
. Sadalsuud belongs to the spectral class G0Ib.
Mythology and etymology
Sadalsuud, when translated, means the "Luckiest of the Lucky" or the "luck of lucks". In the context of older worldviewsMythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
(i.e.Egyptian, Persian
Persian mythology
Persian mythology are traditional tales and stories of ancient origin, some involving extraordinary or supernatural beings. Drawn from the legendary past of the Iranian cultural continent which especially consists of the state of Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Central Asia, they reflect the...
and Islamic
Islamic mythology
Islamic mythology is the body of traditional narratives associated with Islam from a mythographical perspective. Many Muslims believe that these narratives are historical and sacred and contain profound truths...
mythology), Sadalsuud relates to the rising of the Sun when winter has passed (March) and the season of gentle, continuous rain has begun. So the myth
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
of "luck" or "good fortune" was seen as closely aligned with the essence of spring itself, the burgeoning of new life, and by extension agriculture, which in all societies is the very foundation of prosperity or "good fortune". This mythological view of "the luck of the lucks" also belongs to the 22d Manzil
Manzil
Manzil is the word for one of seven parts of roughly equal length into which the Qur'an is divided for the purpose of reciting the entire text in one week.They are:# Al-Fatihah through An-Nisa' # Al-Maida through At-Tawba...
(Arabic Lunar Mansion)
Islamic calendar
The Hijri calendar , also known as the Muslim calendar or Islamic calendar , is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or 355 days. It is used to date events in many Muslim countries , and used by Muslims everywhere to determine the proper day on which to celebrate Islamic...
, which included the two stars Bunda
Xi Aquarii
Xi Aquarii is a star in the constellation Aquarius. It has the traditional name Bunda.In the catalogue of stars in the Calendarium of Al Achsasi al Mouakket, this star was designated Thanih Saad al Saaoud , which was translated into Latin as Secunda Fortunæ Fortunarum, meaning the...
(ξ Aqr) and c Cap
46 Capricorni
46 Capricorni is a star in the constellation Capricornus. It is a yellow G-type bright giant with an apparent magnitude of +5.10 and is approximately 800 light years from Earth.-Etymology:...
.
β and ξ Aquarii also constitute the Persian lunar mansion Bunda and the similar Coptic mansion Upuineuti, the meaning of which is "the Foundation".
In Chinese mythology, β Aqr alone marks the sieu (Chinese Lunar Mansion) Heu, Hiu, or Hü, "the Void", anciently Ko, the central one of the seven sieu which, taken together, were known as Heung Wu, the Black Warrior, in the northern quarter of the sky. As such, Sadalsuud is an expression of the feminine archetype
Archetype
An archetype is a universally understood symbol or term or pattern of behavior, a prototype upon which others are copied, patterned, or emulated...
, the Yin
Yin and yang
In Asian philosophy, the concept of yin yang , which is often referred to in the West as "yin and yang", is used to describe how polar opposites or seemingly contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other in turn. Opposites thus only...
or "Void" (Cosmic Mother), from which, many cultures have believed, creation itself
Big Bang
The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological model that explains the early development of the Universe. According to the Big Bang theory, the Universe was once in an extremely hot and dense state which expanded rapidly. This rapid expansion caused the young Universe to cool and resulted in...
(birth) emanates.
In Chinese, , meaning Emptiness
Emptiness (Chinese constellation)
The Emptiness mansion is one of the Twenty-eight mansions of the Chinese constellations. It is one of the northern mansions of the Black Tortoise.-Asterisms:...
(asterism), refers to an asterism consisting of β Aquarii and α Equulei
Alpha Equulei
Alpha Equulei is a star in the constellation Equuleus. It has the traditional name Kitalpha , a contraction of the Arabic name قطعة الفرس "a piece of the horse"....
. Consequently, β Aquarii itself is known as
Sadalsuud is found in Hindu texts as Kalpeny and in the context of the ancient Indian system of astronomy, Jyotisha Veda
Vedanga
The Vedanga are six auxiliary disciplines traditionally associated with the study and understanding of the Vedas.#Shiksha : phonetics, phonology and morphophonology #Kalpa : ritual#Vyakarana : grammar...
, is located in the 23rd Nakshatra
Nakshatra
Nakshatra is the term for lunar mansion in Hindu astrology. A nakshatra is one of 27 sectors along the ecliptic...
Shravishthā, a lunar mansion which is ruled by Eight vasu
Vasu
In Hinduism, the Vasus are attendant deities of Indra, and later Vishnu. They are eight elemental gods representing aspects of nature, representing cosmic natural phenomenon. The name Vasu means 'Dweller' or 'Dwelling'...
s - the "deities of earthly abundance" . On the Euphrates, Sadalsuud was known as Kakkab Nammaχ, the Star of Mighty Destiny; that may have given origin to the title of the manzil, as well as to the astrologers' name for it — Fortuna Fortunarum.
Triple star
| Parameter | Star Data | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name Star designation Designations of stars are done by the International Astronomical Union . Many of the star names in use today were inherited from the time before the IAU existed. Other names, mainly for variable stars , are being added all the time.Approximately 10,000 stars are visible to the naked eye... |
β Aqr A | β Aqr B | β Aqr C | |||||||||
| Class 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... |
G0Ib | |||||||||||
| 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... |
2.91 | 11.0 | 11.6 | |||||||||
| RA Right ascension Right ascension is the astronomical term for one of the two coordinates of a point on the celestial sphere when using the equatorial coordinate system. The other coordinate is the declination.-Explanation:... |
||||||||||||
| Dec Declination In astronomy, declination is one of the two coordinates of the equatorial coordinate system, the other being either right ascension or hour angle. Declination in astronomy is comparable to geographic latitude, but projected onto the celestial sphere. Declination is measured in degrees north and... |
||||||||||||
| Plx (err) | 5.33 (0.94) | |||||||||||
| LY | 610 | |||||||||||
| Parameter | Star Components | |||||||||||
| AB | AC | |||||||||||
| Year Observed | 1879 | 1947 | 1877 | 1915 | ||||||||
| Measurements | 12 | 7 | 9 | 6 | ||||||||
| PA Position angle Position angle, usually abbreviated PA, is a measurement derived from observing visual binary stars. It is defined as the angular offset in degrees of the secondary star to the primary, relative to the north celestial pole.... |
319° | 321° | 186° | 186° | ||||||||
| A/D Angular distance In mathematics and all natural sciences , the angular distance between two point objects, as observed from a location different from either of these objects, is the size of the angle between the two directions originating from... |
34.3" | 35.4" | 54.5" | 57.2" | ||||||||
| Discoverer Designations | H 76 William Herschel Sir Frederick William Herschel, KH, FRS, German: Friedrich Wilhelm Herschel was a German-born British astronomer, technical expert, and composer. Born in Hanover, Wilhelm first followed his father into the Military Band of Hanover, but emigrated to Britain at age 19... |
BU 75 Sherburne Wesley Burnham Sherburne Wesley Burnham was an American astronomer.He worked at Yerkes Observatory. All his working life, he served during the day as a court reporter and was an amateur astronomer, except for four years as a full-time astronomer at Lick Observatory.He served as a military stenographer in the... |
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"Sadalsuud" is the name given to what appears to be a single star to the naked eye but when viewed with a telescope
Telescope
A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
is seen to be a triple or multiple star
Multiple star
A multiple star consists of three or more stars which appear from the Earth to be close to one another in the sky. This may result from the stars being physically close and gravitationally bound to each other, in which case it is physical, or this closeness may be merely apparent, in which case...
. The primary component, β Aqr A, has two optical components:
The first β Aqr B has 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 11.0. In 1947, the position angle
Position angle
Position angle, usually abbreviated PA, is a measurement derived from observing visual binary stars. It is defined as the angular offset in degrees of the secondary star to the primary, relative to the north celestial pole....
was observed at 321 degrees with a separation from the main star of 35.4 arcseconds.
The second star, β Aqr C, has a magnitude of 11.6. Its position angle is 186 degrees with a separation from the main star β Aqr A of 57.2 arcseconds.
There is no definitive evidence to date that the three stars comprising Sadalsuud form a ternary star system.
See also
- Lists of stars in the constellation Aquarius
- Class G Stars
- Star systemStar systemA star system or stellar system is a small number of stars which orbit each other, bound by gravitational attraction. A large number of stars bound by gravitation is generally called a star cluster or galaxy, although, broadly speaking, they are also star systems.-Binary star systems:A stellar...
- Egyptian, PersianPersian mythologyPersian mythology are traditional tales and stories of ancient origin, some involving extraordinary or supernatural beings. Drawn from the legendary past of the Iranian cultural continent which especially consists of the state of Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Central Asia, they reflect the...
and IslamicIslamic mythologyIslamic mythology is the body of traditional narratives associated with Islam from a mythographical perspective. Many Muslims believe that these narratives are historical and sacred and contain profound truths...
MythologyMythologyThe term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
External links
- Jim Kaler's Stars, University of Illinois:Sadalsuud
- An Atlas of the Universe: Multiple Star Orbits
- Harvard Map Collection The Mercator Globes
- Image β Aquarii