Hamal Star: All About The Brightest Star Of The Aries Constellation
Gallery
Hamal star or Alpha Arietis is the brightest star of the Aries constellation!
In the constellation, this star is attributed to the head of the ram. Hamal is a rather bright star that can be seen with the naked eye quite easily if you are looking at the right time of the year!
Visible clearly in the southern sky in winters and previously a marker for the Vernal equinox, this star has held its fair share of importance for our ancestors. In Chinese culture, the Hamal star is known as the Third star of Bond, while it has quite a few names in the form of Arabic phrases.
The surface temperature of Hamal is somewhere between 3,500 and 5,000 K. This is quite low in comparison with the Sun. Keep reading to know more about this 3.4 billion-year-old star!
Where is the Hamal star in the universe?
Hamal is the brightest star of the constellation Aries and has held a good amount of importance for the people of the Earth for the longest time.
The fact that the March equinox sun would shine in front of the constellation for a long time in the history of Earth has led to this constellation holding a special place. With regards to the constellation, the Hamal star is considered to be the head of the ram.
The name of this beautiful, giant star arises from an Arabic phrase that goes like 'Ras-al-Hamal'.
This Arabic phrase can be directly translated to 'head of the ram'. If you ask us, the phrase directly reminded us of Ra's-al-Ghul from the Batman series!
Distances, in the universe, are measured through right ascension and declination. If you have any troubles in understanding these concepts, the easiest way of looking at them would be to compare them with latitudes and longitudes that we have on Earth.
These parameters measure the distance of a celestial object in terms of time. If the right ascension of a celestial body is in a positive unit, it stands to signify that it is towards the east of the celestial equator.
This is true for the Hamal star or Alpha Arietis, which appears in the eastern sky.
The declination factor, on the other hand, shows how far towards the north or south a celestial body is with respect to the celestial equator. According to these factors, the location of the Hamal star can be estimated to be around 02h 07m 10.29 and +23 degrees 27` 46.0.
Planets and stars orbit around a central spot, in the case of planets of the Solar System, it's the central star such as the Sun. In the case of stars, it's the galactic center. The motions of these stars are measured in milliarcseconds. Hamal is moving -148.08 ± 0.14 milliarcseconds/year towards the north and 188.55 ± 0.25 milliarcseconds/year east.
Recent research and observations show that this star of the eastern sky might have a very large planet orbiting it. This planet is estimated to be around 1.8 times the size of Jupiter. However, the data that we have of this planet is scarce and cannot be treated as having too much merit.
What are the features of the Hamal star?
The Hamal star has many fascinating features.
One of the rather interesting facts about the Hamal star or Alpha Arietis is that it can be easily seen in the night sky.
The luminosity of the star and its distance from Earth is such that a telescope is not required to see it. Hence, if you are interested in stars and other such deep-sky objects, you can readily observe the fascinating celestial sphere that the Hamal star is if you live somewhat near the middle of the Northern Hemisphere.
The fact that this star is so easily visible is one of the factors that has led to much research about it.
The Hamal star also stood as a marker for the Vernal equinox between 2000-100 BCE. The Hamal star and its appearance in the daytime meant that the date of its conjunction with the sun was around April 24.
Understandably, such knowledge was essential for our ancestors, who were not equipped with all the tools that we have today!
The Hamal star, in addition to being visible to the naked eye due to it being one of the brightest stars in the universe, is also an evolved giant star. The Hamal star is said to have around 91 times the Sun's luminosity!
We can only imagine how bright days would be in the planets that orbit around this star if there actually are any!
The radius of Alpha Arietis is also over 11 times that of the Sun. Additionally, this important part of the Aries constellation is also set to increase in size over the next few centuries, since the star Hamal has run out of hydrogen at its core.
This essentially means that the outer surface of the star will eventually puff up and give it a rather immense size!
Being one of the rather bright stars of the universe, Hamal lights up the eastern sky in the fall months of the Northern Hemisphere. In the southern sky, the star appears bright and shinning in the winter months.
The Hamal star is an evolved giant star, which means that it has gone through many changes over the years. Alpha Arietis is said to have originated from a giant ball of gas and dust.
The star's radius is much more than that of the Sun and is known to also be more luminous. Furthermore, the surface gravity of the Hamal star is known to be of 2.57 cgs.
The star is much cooler in comparison to Earth and has been classified as a K-type star. This part of the constellation Aries has many names such as As-kar, Dil-kar, and Dil-gan in Arabic, which mean 'Guard', 'Proclaimer of the Dawn', and 'the Messenger of Light' respectively.
In Euphratean, the star is referred to as the 'horn star', and 'Lu-lim' which means 'ram's eye'.
Known as the 50th brightest star of the night sky, you will be able to enjoy the sight of this beautiful celestial body with the naked eye. The fact that this star is clearly visible in spite of being several light-years away shows how bright it is.
The Hamal star of the Aries constellation is classified as a K-type star. The more outlined classification of the star is K2 III Ca-1.
The red-orange hue of the Hamal star is a feature that is considered typical of the K-type stars. The 'Ca' part of the classification refers to the rather lines of calcium in the spectrum of the star.
How far is the Hamal star from Earth?
The Hamal star of the constellation Aries is no less than 65.88 light-years away from the Earth. This star, in spite of the great distance between itself and our beloved planet, continues to be one of the brightest in the night sky. The star also lies at an approximate distance of around 66 light-years from the Sun.
The Hamal star may or may not be the center of its own Solar System. It is estimated that if the Hamal star does have a planet 1.8 times the size of Jupiter that orbits it, the planet would make an entire revolution in around 380 days!
We Want Your Photos!
More for You
See All
Bachelor of Arts specializing in English Language and Literature
Shirin BiswasBachelor of Arts specializing in English Language and Literature
With a degree in English from Amity University, Noida, Shirin has won awards for oratory, acting, and creative writing. She has a wealth of experience as an English teacher, editor, and writer, having previously worked at Quizzy and Big Books Publishing. Her expertise lies in editing study guides for children and creating engaging content.
Bachelor of Commerce
Niyati ParabBachelor of Commerce
With a background in digital marketing, Niyati brings her expertise to ensure accuracy and authenticity in every piece of content. She has previously written articles for MuseumFacts, a history web magazine, while also handling its digital marketing. In addition to her marketing skills, Niyati is fluent in six languages and has a Commerce degree from Savitribai Phule Pune University. She has also been recognized for her public speaking abilities, holding the position of Vice President of Education at the Toastmasters Club of Pune, where she won several awards and represented the club in writing and speech contests at the area level.
Disclaimer
1) Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising. We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. If you purchase using the Buy Now button we may earn a small commission. This does not influence our choices. Prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published but we cannot guarantee that on the time of reading. Please note that Kidadl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. We also link to other websites, but are not responsible for their content.
2) At Kidadl, we strive to recommend the very best activities and events. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability. Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
3) Because we are an educational resource, we have quotes and facts about a range of historical and modern figures. We do not endorse the actions of or rhetoric of all the people included in these collections, but we think they are important for growing minds to learn about under the guidance of parents or guardians.
