Why Is Achernar Flat?
A Simple Artist's Concept of the Star Achernar. It's Flattened Because – Despite Being About 6 to 8 Times More Massive Than Our Sun, It Rotates or Spins on Its...
A simple artist's concept of the star Achernar. It's flattened because – despite being about 6 to 8 times more massive than our sun, it rotates or spins on its axis about 15 times more rapidly, completing one rotation in 2 Earth-days, in contrast to the sun's 25-day rotation.
What is the flattest star?
Very precise measurements show that the hot, bright star Achernar is the flattest known.
What kind of star is Achernar?
Achernar (Arabic for “end of the river”) is 144 light-years from Earth. It is a binary star with a B-type star, Achernar A, as its primary and a much fainter A-type star, Achernar B, orbiting the primary at a distance of 6.7 astronomical units (1 billion km, or 621 million miles) with a period of about 15 years.
James Sterling reports on renewable energy developments, climate policy, ecological conservation, and green tech innovations around the globe.
