The Second Brightest!!
You may not know this but the second brightest burning star in the sky is called Canopus. It is sometimes called Suhel, Suhail, Alpha Carinae, HR 2326, or HD 45348. It is most easily visible in the Southern Hemisphere and it very hard to see in parts of the Northern Hemisphere such as England. However, you are able to see the star in Greece which is also where the star got it's name.
Classification of Canopus
The Canopus Star is classified as an F Giant on the main sequence of stars. It is a rare type of star and was declared an F Giant because it contains a mass that is similar to the one of the Sun.
Statistics of Canopus
Temperature: 7350 K
Size: 19.49E30 kg or 9.8 Solar Mass (Approximately 71.4 times larger than the sun)
Distance: 313 light years away (According to the Hipparcos Satellite)
Luminosity: Canopus is approximately 14,000 times brighter than the sun. Scientist believe that if Canopus was located where Sirius is, then it would easily outshine any star in the sky.
Characteristics // Fun Facts
- It is very likely that Canopus is fusing helium into carbon at its core
- Canopus has enlarged itself to be about 9/10 the size of Mercury's orbit
- It is still not large enough to be a supernova
- Canopus often is used by sailors to direct their ships on clear nights at sea
- It is also part of the constellation known as Carina (Latin for "the keel")
- Some of the planets surrounding Canopus are mentioned in Star Trek
Myths and Legends
It is said that in the "Dune" Universe, Canopus is the parent star of Arrakis, a dusty, desert planet.