Torcular

Its story

Torcular shines orange at 280 light-years from the Earth, in the constellation Pisces, in an area of sky little frequented by the brighter stars. Its name comes from the Latin «torcular», the wine or olive press used in any ancient mill: ancient observers saw in this particular part of the sky a tight knot in the cord binding the two fish of the constellation together. A discreet star, faithful to its place, recalling how earthly and agrarian the metaphors often were that mapped the firmament for centuries before modern astronomy.