Star profile
Mothallah
Alpha Triangulum · Triangulum
Variable starWhat is Mothallah
Mothallah is the alpha of Triangulum, one of the smallest and most ancient constellations, already catalogued by Ptolemy in the second century. Its Arabic name, «Al-Muthallath», simply means «the triangle», naming both the figure and its leading star. At 63 light-years, it is a gentle F-type variable: a yellow-white flame whose brightness shifts almost imperceptibly. In the same patch of sky lies an entire spiral galaxy, M33, neighbour of Andromeda and silent witness to the flow of cosmic time.
Where it is and when to see it
Mothallah lies in the northern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is October, when it culminates around midnight.
- From London it culminates about 68° above the horizon.
- From New York it culminates about 79° above the horizon.
- From Sydney it culminates about 27° above the horizon.
It can be seen from anywhere north of 60° S.
It ranks no. 2 in brightness among the 18 stars of Triangulum in our catalogue. To find it, start from Beta Triangulum, the brightest: it lies about 6° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).
The light you see today left it about 63 years ago.
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Astronomical data for Mothallah
- Constellation
- Triangulum
- Apparent magnitude
- 3.42
- Distance
- 63.3 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 28.270° · Dec 29.579°
- Catalogue
- HIP 8796 · HD 11443
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Other stars in Triangulum
Triangulum has 18 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- Beta Triangulum3.00
- Gamma Triangulum4.03
- Delta Triangulum4.84
- 6 Triangulum4.94
- 14 Triangulum5.15
- 7 Triangulum5.25
- 10 Triangulum5.29
- 12 Triangulum5.29