Lambda Aquilae
Encyclopedia
Lambda Aquilae (λ Aql, λ Aquilae) is a star
in the constellation
Aquila
. It has the traditional name Al Thalimain, which it shares with ι Aquilae. The name is derived from the Arabic
الثالمين al-thalīmain "the two ostriches". Lambda Aquilae is more precisely Al Thalimain Prior.
In Chinese
, , meaning Market Officer
, refers to an asterism consisting of λ Aquilae, α Scuti
, δ Scuti
, ε Scuti
, β Scuti
, η Scuti
, 12 Aquilae, 15 Aquilae
and 14 Aquilae
. Consequently, λ Aquilae itself is known as
Lambda Aquilae is a blue-white B-type main sequence dwarf
with an apparent magnitude
of +3.43. It is approximately 125 light years
from Earth.
space probe, launched in April 1973, exited the solar system
in 1990 and continued in the direction of Lambda Aquilae. It is estimated that it will take around 4 million years for the probe to make its closest approach to its destination, assuming it will remain intact. However, NASA stopped communicating with Pioneer 11 since November 1995 because the space probe's power was already too weak to transmit any data.
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....
Aquila
Aquila (constellation)
Aquila is a stellar constellation. Its name is Latin for 'eagle' and it is commonly represented as such. In mythology, Aquila was owned by the Roman god Jupiter and performed many tasks for him....
. It has the traditional name Al Thalimain, which it shares with ι Aquilae. The name is derived 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...
الثالمين al-thalīmain "the two ostriches". Lambda Aquilae is more precisely Al Thalimain Prior.
In Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
, , meaning Market Officer
Dipper (Chinese constellation)
The Dipper mansion is one of the Twenty-eight mansions of the Chinese constellations. It is one of the northern mansions of the Black Tortoise.-Asterisms:-Stars:* ζ Sgr* τ Sgr* σ Sgr* φ Sgr* λ Sgr* μ Sgr...
, refers to an asterism consisting of λ Aquilae, α Scuti
Alpha Scuti
Alpha Scuti is a fourth-magnitude star in the constellation Scutum. Alpha Scuti is an orange K-type giant with an apparent magnitude of +3.85. Alpha Scuti is a known variable star. It is approximately 174 light years from Earth....
, δ Scuti
Delta Scuti
Delta Scuti is a white, F-type giant star in the constellation Scutum. It is approximately 187 light years from Earth. Delta Scuti is the prototype of the Delta Scuti type variable stars. It is a high-amplitude δ Scuti type pulsator with light variations of about 0.15 minutes...
, ε Scuti
Epsilon Scuti
Epsilon Scuti is a star system in the constellation Scutum. It is approximately 523 light years from Earth.The primary component, Epsilon Scuti A, is a yellow G-type bright giant with an apparent magnitude of +4.88...
, β Scuti
Beta Scuti
Beta Scuti is a binary star in the constellation Scutum. It is approximately 690 light years from Earth.The primary component is a yellow G-type bright giant with an apparent magnitude of +4.22. It has a magnitude +8.5 companion classified as spectral type B9.5. The orbital period of the binary...
, η Scuti
Eta Scuti
Eta Scuti is a star in the constellation Scutum.Eta Scuti is an orange K-type giant with an apparent magnitude of +4.83. It is approximately 207 light years from Earth....
, 12 Aquilae, 15 Aquilae
15 Aquilae
15 Aquilae is a double star in the constellation Aquila. Its apparent magnitude is 5.40. It's composed of a magnitude 5 yellow star and a magnitude 7 star, resolvable in a small telescope.-Components:-References:*...
and 14 Aquilae
14 Aquilae
14 Aquilae or is a star in the constellation Aquila. Its apparent magnitude is 5.40.-References:* * *...
. Consequently, λ Aquilae itself is known as
Lambda Aquilae is a blue-white B-type main sequence dwarf
Main sequence
The main sequence is a continuous and distinctive band of stars that appears on plots of stellar color versus brightness. These color-magnitude plots are known as Hertzsprung–Russell diagrams after their co-developers, Ejnar Hertzsprung and Henry Norris Russell...
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 +3.43. It is approximately 125 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.
Related space mission
NASA's Pioneer 11Pioneer 11
Pioneer 11 is a 259-kilogram robotic space probe launched by NASA on April 6, 1973 to study the asteroid belt, the environment around Jupiter and Saturn, solar wind, cosmic rays, and eventually the far reaches of the solar system and heliosphere...
space probe, launched in April 1973, exited the solar system
Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
in 1990 and continued in the direction of Lambda Aquilae. It is estimated that it will take around 4 million years for the probe to make its closest approach to its destination, assuming it will remain intact. However, NASA stopped communicating with Pioneer 11 since November 1995 because the space probe's power was already too weak to transmit any data.