Alpha Persei

Mirfak ( α Persei, Alpha Persei ) is located in the center of the constellation Perseus and is the brightest star. Mirfak is a yellow supergiant; its mass is about eleven times as large as that of the sun, its diameter about 56 times as large as that of the sun.

One finds Alpha Persei easily in the sky, if the second line of the letter W, which is formed from the constellation Cassiopeia, about five times over the star Delta Cassiopeiae - he is the first angle of the W - extends beyond. Mirfak is part of the Five Star series. Besides Mirfak is another proper name Algenib, which can lead to confusion with the same star in the constellation Pegasus. Both names are of Arabic origin. Mirfak, also written Mirphak, comes from the Arabic المرفق الثريا / al - mirfaq AT ṯurayyā / elbow of the Pleiades '. Algenib, also Algeneb, Elgenab, Gęnib, Chenib or Alchemb, derived from الجنب / al - ǧanb or الجانب / al - ǧānib /, the edge '.