|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries: |
Research categories | Follow us on Twitter |
Research categories
View all topics in the newsView all reference sources at Encyclopedia.com |
|||
Rigel
Rigel , bright star in the constellation Orion ; Bayer designation Beta Orionis; 1992 position R.A. 5 h 14.2 m , Dec. -8°13′. A huge, blue supergiant of spectral class B8 Ia, Rigel has an intrinsic brightness about 40,000 times as luminous as that of the sun. It is an irregular variable star , with apparent magnitude ranging from 0.08 to 0.20, making it normally the seventh-brightest star in the sky. Its distance from the earth is nearly 1,000 light-years. Rigel is actually a four-star system consisting of a visual binary star , each component of which is itself a spectroscopic binary. Its name is from the Arabic word meaning "foot," indicating its position in the constellation. |
|
|
Cite this article
"Rigel." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Rigel." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Rigel.html "Rigel." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Rigel.html |
|
Rigel
Rigel The star Beta Orionis, magnitude 0.18, the seventh-brightest star in the sky. It is a B8 supergiant 773 l.y. away and has a luminosity 40 000 times the Sun's. It has a companion of magnitude 6.8, which is itself a spectroscopic binary.
|
|
|
Cite this article
"Rigel." A Dictionary of Astronomy. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Rigel." A Dictionary of Astronomy. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O80-Rigel.html "Rigel." A Dictionary of Astronomy. 1997. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O80-Rigel.html |
|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries:
HighBeam™ Research, Inc. © Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.
The Encyclopedia.com advertising network includes:
