Delta Octantis Explained

δ Octantis, Latinised as Delta Octantis, has the distinction of being Saturn's southern pole star.[1] An orange giant of class K2III, it has 1.2 times the mass of the Sun and about 25 times the Sun's radius. This star is about 4.3 billion years old, which is similar to the age of the Sun.

Naming

In Chinese caused by adaptation of the European southern hemisphere constellations into the Chinese system, Chinese: 異雀 (Chinese: Yì Què), meaning Exotic Bird, refers to an asterism consisting of δ Octantis, ζ Apodis, ι Apodis, β Apodis, γ Apodis, δ1 Apodis, η Apodis, α Apodis and ε Apodis. Consequently, δ Octantis itself is known as Chinese: 異雀五 (Chinese: Yì Què wǔ, English: the Fifth Star of Exotic Bird).[2]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Octans. UK Astronomy Society. 10 October 2011. 1 August 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200801014846/http://www.topastronomer.com/StarCharts/Constellations/Octans.php. dead.
  2. AEEA (Activities of Exhibition and Education in Astronomy) 天文教育資訊網 2006 年 7 月 29 日