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Fomalhaut

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Also known as Alpha Piscis Austrini, 24 Piscis Austrini

Fomalhaut (, ) is the brightest star in the southern constellation of Piscis Austrinus, the Southern Fish, and one of the brightest stars in the night sky. It has the Bayer designation Alpha Piscis Austrini, which is an alternative form of α Piscis Austrini, and is abbreviated Alpha PsA or α PsA. This is a class A star on the main sequence approximately from the Sun as measured by the Hipparcos astrometry satellite. Since 1943, the spectrum of this star has served as one of the stable anchor points by which other stars are classified.

AI overview

Fomalhaut is the brightest star in the constellation Piscis Austrinus and one of the brightest stars visible from Earth. Since 1943, astronomers have used its spectrum as a standard reference point for classifying other stars.

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Wikidata facts

Distance from Earth: 25
Image: Wide-field view of the sky around the bright star Fomalhaut (eso1216c).jpg

Show 4 more facts

Commons category: Fomalhaut
right ascension: 344.412666
declination: -29.6222222
absolute magnitude: 1.72

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~16 min read

Article

11 sections

Contents

Nomenclature
Observation
Fomalhaut A
Debris disks and suspected planets
Fomalhaut B (TW Piscis Austrini)
Fomalhaut C (LP 876-10)
Etymology and Cultural Significance
See also
Notes
References
External links

Fomalhaut (, ) is the brightest star in the southern constellation of Piscis Austrinus, the Southern Fish, and one of the brightest stars in the night sky. It has the Bayer designation Alpha Piscis Austrini, which is an alternative form of α Piscis Austrini, and is abbreviated Alpha PsA or α PsA. This is a class A star on the main sequence approximately from the Sun as measured by the Hipparcos astrometry satellite. Since 1943, the spectrum of this star has served as one of the stable anchor points by which other stars are classified.

It is classified as a Vega-like star that emits excess infrared radiation, indicating it is surrounded by a circumstellar disk.

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