Chapter 578 - 578 Stars
578 Stars
Ye Xuan’s words made his sisters a little confused. They looked at Ye Xuan in confusion and only reacted after a while.
“Little Brother, how do you know so much about stars?”
“That’s right, Little Brother. You even know how far Sirius’s companion is. Have you learned it before?”
“I’m dumbfounded. This is the first time I know that there are so many things about stars. I don’t usually understand them.”
“Me too. I only understood after hearing what our Little Brother said.”
Ye Xuan smiled and revealed a smug expression.
“I usually watch videos about this. I remember most of the stars in the sky.”
“Really?! Little Brother, come over quickly and help me take a look at this star. It’s so beautiful!”
When Fifth Sister Ye Fei heard Ye Xuan’s words, she revealed a surprised expression. She held the astronomical telescope in one hand and waved at Ye Xuan with the other. She looked like she couldn’t wait.
The other sisters were the same. When they heard Ye Xuan’s words, they rubbed their palms together and waited for Ye Xuan to explain to them.
Ye Xuan didn’t mind. He leisurely walked up to the astronomical telescope and was picked up by his Fifth Sister Ye Fei. Through the astronomical telescope, he saw a beautiful star.
After taking a few glances, Ye Xuan jumped down and explained to his Fifth Sister Ye Fei.
“This star is called Canopus, or Carina Alpha. It’s about 310 light-years away from the Solar System. The brightness magnitude is -0.72, and the absolute magnitude is -5.53… I won’t talk about these data.”
“Canopus is second only to Sirius in brightness. It’s the second brightest star in the entire sky.”
“In the south, every year, on the night of February according to the lunar calendar, after finding Sirius, which is located directly south of Canopus, you can look down and find Canopus above the horizon.”
“In theory, everyone south of the 37th parallel north has a chance to see it, but the length of time they can see it is different. However, considering the fog on the ground and the obstruction of vision, if you want to really see Canopus, you have to be further south of the 37th parallel north.”
“Canopus is a lucky star in the eyes of the ancients. In the east, it’s called the Immortal Hermit of the South Pole. It’s kind-hearted. There’s also a saying that it’s the Star of Longevity. However, it doesn’t necessarily refer to the lifespan of people.”
When Fifth Sister Ye Fei heard this, she revealed a “wow” expression. She raised her head and looked at the shining star in the night sky with her red eyes. She clasped her hands together in front of her chest, making it look like she was praying.
The other sisters also revealed shining eyes and looked up at the star with smiles on their faces.
Then, they fought over the astronomical telescope. They carried Ye Xuan and placed him in front of the astronomical telescope so that Ye Xuan could explain to them. They looked impatient.
“That star is called Alpha Centauri. It’s located in the constellation Centauri. It’s a triple star system. It’s the closest star system to the Sun.”
“The total apparent visual magnitude of Alpha Centauri is about -0.27. It’s customary to take it as the third brightest star in the entire sky. Alpha Centauri is also known for serving as a guide for the outermost constellation of Southern Cross. Proxima Centauri is usually considered a member of this stellar system. It’s only 4.24 light-years from the Sun and is the closest star to the Sun.”
“This is Arcturus, also known as the Heavenly Ridgepole. It can also be called the Ridgepole Planet. It’s regarded as the Heavenly King’s Imperial Court.”
“The Arcturus is the Alpha Boötis, the brightest star in the constellation of Boötis. It is also the brightest star in the northern celestial hemisphere. Sirius and Canopus, which were previously mentioned, are stars in the southern celestial hemisphere.”
“In late May, If you follow the curve of the handles of the Big Dipper and draw a large arc, you can find an orange-red, dazzling star in the starry sky near the zenith — Arcturus. There are five second- and third-grade stars in the north of Arcturus, arranged in the shape of a kite or sail with Arcturus.”
“Next is the constellation that you’re all very interested in. That’s right, it’s Vega. I have to say that my Fourth Sister has a good eye for the stars. You even found Vega.”
“As for Vega, also known as Vega I or Alpha Lyrae, it’s the brightest star in the constellation Lyra. It’s about 25 light-years away from Earth. It’s a flat spherical star. The North Pole is light pink, and the equator is blue-white. Look at her Chinese name. She’s known as a weaver[1], and ‘Lyra’ means ‘harp’. Furthermore, her color is very beautiful.”
“Vega ranks fifth in brightness in the night sky. It’s the second brightest star in the northern celestial hemisphere, after Arcturus. Like Arcturus and Sirius, it’s one of the brightest stars near the Sun.”
“Alright, lastly, there’s a good explanation for Big Sister’s star. This star is called Capella, or Alpha Aurigae. It’s the brightest star in Auriga and the sixth brightest star in the entire sky. In the northern celestial hemisphere, it’s only second to Sirius, Arcturus, and Vega. It’s the fourth brightest star in the northern celestial hemisphere.”
“Its English name is derived from the Latin for ‘baby goat’. The Bayer nomenclature designates it as an alpha star, abbreviated Alpha Aurigae, α Aur, or Alpha Aur.”
“Although it looks like a star to the naked eye, it’s actually a star system. There are two binary stars that are composed of four stars. It’s very magical.”
“The first pair of stars are large and bright. They are G-type giant stars. Each of them has a diameter ten times that of the sun and a mass two and a half times that of the sun. They orbit each other very close to each other.”
“These two stars are respectively called Capella Aa and Capella Ab. In the future, they will gradually cool down and expand, evolving into red giants.”
“The second pair is about 10,000 astronomical units away from the first pair. Both stars are dim, low-mass, and relatively cold red dwarfs.”
“Their names are Capella H and Capella L, respectively. From C to G and I to K, they are other stars in the same field of vision, but they are actually unrelated. Capella’s system is relatively close to Earth and is only 42.2 light-years away.”
These words stunned his sisters again. They looked at Ye Xuan in shock and confusion as if they were looking at something amazing.
After a while, they spoke in shock.
“No way, Little Brother. Why are you like an encyclopedia? You know all the stars and know so much about them. Oh my god.”
“Little Brother, how do you know everything? You’re simply like a walking encyclopedia. You’re too awesome.”
“That’s right, Little Brother. I feel like your brain is like a computer. You know everything. How did you do it? Don’t tell me you have a photographic memory, Little Brother.”
“It’s too terrifying, Little Brother. I was stunned. Only then did I know that there are so many things about stars. You have so much knowledge. It’s too terrifying.”
[1] the Chinese name for Vega translates to “weaver”