Alpha Cephei star will replace Pole Star

Alpha Cephei star will replace Pole Star

Alpha Cephei, the fastest rotating star in the universe, may replace the Pole Star in the future. Cephei is the brightest star in the constellation Cepheus the King in the northern sky. Alpha Cephei is 17 times brighter than our Sun. Scientists’ interest in this star has increased due to it becoming a red giant.

The world of twinkling stars at night is beyond our imagination. He is almighty. The operation of a world like Earth is possible with their immense strength. Alpha Cephei star is completely different from our Sun in many ways. It is a shining white star 49 light years away from us, which is twice the mass of the Sun. Its luminosity is about 17 times more than that of the Sun. It is considered a class A star. But the special thing is that now he is developing into a sub-giant and will eventually become a red giant. The main reason for this is that its internal supply of hydrogen has now started decreasing. Alpha Cephei is a very fast rotating star. It rotates at a speed of 246 km per second, whereas the rotation speed of the Sun is only 2 km per second. Alpha Cephei appears flattened as a result of its rapid rotation. This star is also known as Alderamin. Scientists believe that Alpha Cephei was a pole star before 18 thousand BC and will become a pole star again after about 5500 years. Scientists at Georgia State University have studied it with the Optical Interferometer Telescope.

You can easily see this star

Alpha Cephei can be easily seen on a dark night. This is a star in the north direction. The star of the constellation Cepheus is the one that appears the brightest. Keep in mind that Cepheus is a faint constellation.

Source and photos: Georgia State University