Properties
The angular diameter of the red giant, α1 Her, has been measured with an interferometer as 34 ± 0.8 mas, or 0.034 arcseconds. At an estimated distance of 110 parsecs from Hipparcos, this corresponds to a radius of about 280 million kilometers (or 170 million miles), which is roughly 400R☉ or 1.87 AU. If Rasalgheti were at the center of our Solar System its radius would extend past the orbit of Mars at 1.5 AU but not quite as far as the asteroid belt. The red giant is estimated to have started its life with about 7-8 solar masses. Like most type M stars near the end of their lives, Rasalgethi is experiencing a high degree of stellar mass loss creating a sparse, gaseous envelope that extends at least 90 astronomical units.
Read more about this topic: Alpha Herculis
Famous quotes containing the word properties:
“The reason why men enter into society, is the preservation of their property; and the end why they choose and authorize a legislative, is, that there may be laws made, and rules set, as guards and fences to the properties of all the members of the society: to limit the power, and moderate the dominion, of every part and member of the society.”
—John Locke (1632–1704)
“A drop of water has the properties of the sea, but cannot exhibit a storm. There is beauty of a concert, as well as of a flute; strength of a host, as well as of a hero.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)