Kappa Orionis
Encyclopedia
Kappa Orionis is the sixth-brightest star
in the constellation
of Orion
. It has the traditional name Saiph.
Of the four bright stars that compose Orion's main quadrangle, it is the star at the south-eastern corner. A northern-hemisphere observer facing south would see it at the lower left of Orion, and a southern-hemisphere observer facing north would see it at the upper right.
The name Saiph is from the Arabic
saif al jabbar, literally sword of the giant
.
Kappa Orionis is the sixth brightest star in Orion. At 720 light years away and 15-17 solar masses, it is about the same distance away from the Sun, and about the same luminosity, as Rigel
. It has a much higher magnitude value (2.06) than Rigel because, although it is a much hotter star with a surface temperature of 26,000 K, it emits most of its energy in the ultraviolet region of the spectrum, invisible to the human eye, paradoxically making it appear relatively dimmer. Large stars such as Saiph (and many other stars in Orion) are destined to collapse on themselves and explode as supernova
e.
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....
of Orion
Orion (constellation)
Orion, often referred to as The Hunter, is a prominent constellation located on the celestial equator and visible throughout the world. It is one of the most conspicuous, and most recognizable constellations in the night sky...
. It has the traditional name Saiph.
Of the four bright stars that compose Orion's main quadrangle, it is the star at the south-eastern corner. A northern-hemisphere observer facing south would see it at the lower left of Orion, and a southern-hemisphere observer facing north would see it at the upper right.
The name Saiph is from the 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...
saif al jabbar, literally sword of the giant
Giant (mythology)
The mythology and legends of many different cultures include monsters of human appearance but prodigious size and strength. "Giant" is the English word commonly used for such beings, derived from one of the most famed examples: the gigantes of Greek mythology.In various Indo-European mythologies,...
.
Kappa Orionis is the sixth brightest star in Orion. At 720 light years away and 15-17 solar masses, it is about the same distance away from the Sun, and about the same luminosity, as Rigel
Rigel
Rigel is the brightest star in the constellation Orion and the sixth brightest star in the sky, with visual magnitude 0.18...
. It has a much higher magnitude value (2.06) than Rigel because, although it is a much hotter star with a surface temperature of 26,000 K, it emits most of its energy in the ultraviolet region of the spectrum, invisible to the human eye, paradoxically making it appear relatively dimmer. Large stars such as Saiph (and many other stars in Orion) are destined to collapse on themselves and explode as supernova
Supernova
A supernova is a stellar explosion that is more energetic than a nova. It is pronounced with the plural supernovae or supernovas. Supernovae are extremely luminous and cause a burst of radiation that often briefly outshines an entire galaxy, before fading from view over several weeks or months...
e.