Position in the HR diagram
Neighboring the stars such as Sheraton and Hamal, the Mesarthim star is located in to the right of the center of the HR diagram. Its apparent visual magnitude within this location is 3.86. This makes the star very visible from the surface of the planet Earth.
Within the estimations of an annual shift in the parallax by 19.88 mas, it is estimated that the distance between the star and Gamma Arietis is 50 parsecs. It had an angular separation estimated at 7.6 seconds within the HR diagram. This actual location is captured in the diagrams below.
Properties of the Mesarthim
The constellation of this star is Gamma (γ) Aries. The longitude of the star falls within the +20 degrees. The star has a declination rate of +19.17. The right ascension of the star is 01h53m. The latitude of the star is +07.09 while the spectral class is A0. The star has a magnitude of 4.8. The color of the star ranges from gray to bright white. The spectral type of the star is B9V with the U-B color index of -0.12. On the other hand, the B-V color index of the star is -0.04.
The star has a radial velocity of +3.7 km/s and relatively stable proper motion of +79 mas per year. The parallax of the star is 19.88 within the margin of +ve or –ve 0.96 mas. The distance from the center of the Aries star is estimated to be 164 ly within a margin of +ve or –ve 8ly. The radius of the Mesarthim star is 1.9R while the rotational velocity of the star is 54km/s. This star has a surface gravity of 4.25 cgs and a constant temperature of 10,970 K. The matallicity of the Mesarthim star is 0.43 dex within a margin of +ve or –ve 0.14.
Life cycle of Mesarthim
Just like any other star, Mesarthim is a hot body with a surface temperature of 10,000 K. Being relatively hot, the star has a gray to bright color. There are nine stages in star formation and life cycle. The Mesarthim star is in the stage 5 of its life cycle. In this stage, the star is active and shines bright since it has the ability to release energy.
The Mesarthim star can be referred to as a main sequence star since its hydrogen is still fusing with other elements to release energy. The star is likely to remain in this stage for the next billion years since its helium core is still expanding. The Mesarthim star is one of the brightest in the sky and is visible to the naked eye. This confirms its life cycle as being in stage 5.
How Mesarthim generates energy
Just like any other star, Mesarthim creates its energy through a nuclear fusion process. This process is characterized by an active fusion of the light toms within the star with other elements to form relatively heavier atoms. This process generates a lot of energy. Since the temperature of this star is 10,000K, the proton-proton chain is the primary atomic reactor through a process that is completed after two steps. The first step commences with conversion of the element Hydrogen in the star into 3He.
The new compound reacts is a double strand series by combining two 3He into a single He. The process is completed when 2H is released in the form of gamma rays and neutrinos. Besides, the reaction between Carbon cycle and Carbon-Nitrogen cycle use Nitrogen and Carbon elements to convert the H element into He through the triple alpha progression.
In the process, a lot of energy is released. These reactions in the Mesarthim star increases the mass of 4H nuclei. Any excess 4H nuclei which cannot react with He nucleus is given out as energy.
How Mesarthim ends its life
Just like any other star, the Mesarthim star will end its life through an explosive death. The hydrogen gas that supports active reaction will fall within the white dwaft, making the star to explode violently within relatively short cycles.
Besides, if the star survives the reduced level of hydrogen gas, it may not survive runaway nuclear reactions within its core after giving energy for a long period of time. In the end, the once bright Mesarthim star will degenerate into a supernova, which is basically black holes. The black hole will remain in the place where the Mesarthim star was located.
Location with respect to the sun
The star moves at an average speed of 37.6 km/s across the Galaxy comparative to the sun. The Galactic projection orbit of the Mesarthim star is estimated to be between 17,000 and 24,000 light years in relation to the center of the Galaxy. The comparison to the sun is summarized in the table below.
How Mesarthim was named
Also referred to as the ‘first star of Aries’, the name Mesarthim is an Arabic phrase, Al Muthantim, which is translated to mean ‘the ram’. The name was derived from the shape of the star within the oscillation of the Aries.
The story behind constellation in which Mesarthim resides
Mesarthim resides in the Aries constellation. The story behind this constellation is that there was a powerful king of the gods called Zeus. Zeus had a favorite pet in the form of a ram he named Aries. The ram had an attractive pair of wings and a flowing golden coat of fleece. During one of his picnic days, Zeus heard the authoritative voice of the mighty god of the sun called Apollo. Apollo saw two children ten miles from the point where Zeus was standing. The two children were about to be devoured by a stray lion.
Upon receiving this message, Zeus dispatched Aries to rescue the two children. Aries used its wings to quickly fly to the spot where the children were stranded and rescued them. Aries then carried the two children to their mother. After this incident, Aries was proactive in search and rescue missions across the ancient land. When Aries finally died, Zeus was devastated. After an elaborate funeral service, Zues rewarded Aries for his kindness by putting the dead body into the skies. The body became the current Aries constellation.
Mesarthim as a binary, period, and mass
Mesarthim is a binary star. The star has HR 545 and an orbital period of 5000-10,000 years. It has an approximate solar mass of 2.8.