Diphda

Its story

Diphda presides over Cetus the Sea Monster, an orange K-type giant burning quietly at 96 light-years. Its Arabic name, «Aḑ-Ḑifda ath-thaniya», means «the second frog», a curious linguistic relic from when medieval astronomers grouped bright, isolated stars under earthly metaphors. On moonless autumn nights in the northern sky, it stands out for its solitude: for many degrees around it the sky grows dim, which once made it a natural reference for sailors and cartographers.