VEGA
The Spinning Northern Star
Location:
Our Solar System is located on the Orion Spur, and orbits Sagittarius A every 200 million years.
Vega is northeast above the horizon when observed from DA. It is the third brightest star in the DA night sky.
Vega is located 25 light years from earth and is closer to the center of our galaxy than Earth is.
The galactic center can be viewed in the background behind Vega.
Compared To Our Sun:
Vega's luminosity is about 40 times the Sun's. Because it is rapidly-rotating and seen nearly pole-on, its apparent luminosity, calculated assuming it was the same brightness all over, is about 57 times the Sun's.
Vega’s distinctly blue color indicates a surface temperature of nearly 17,000 degrees Fahrenheit (9,400 Celsius), making it about 7,000 degrees F (4,000 C) hotter than our sun. Roughly 2.5 times the diameter of the sun, and just less than that in mass, Vega’s internal pressures and temperatures are far greater than our sun’s, making it burn its fuel faster.
The Culture:
Vega has a rich history in human culture due to its brightness position and proximity to Earth.
Vega Was the north star several thousand years ago and will regain that status in 12000 years.
We, along with the entire solar system, are moving towards Vega at a speed of 15 mi / 24.1 km per second. Because of this, Vega will become the brightest star in the sky in about 210.000 years. This will cause Vega’s magnitude to reach its peak at around -0.81 in roughly 290.000 years. Even after it will reach that point, it will remain the brightest star seen from Earth for another 270.000 years possibly spawning a new chain of cultural significance.
In China, the legend speaks of a forbidden romance between the goddess Zhinu – represented by Vega – and a humble farm boy, Niulang – represented by the star Altair. Separated in the night sky by the Milky Way, or Celestial River, the two lovers are allowed to meet only once a year. It’s said that their meeting comes on the 7th night of the 7th moon, when a bridge of magpies forms across the Celestial River, and the two lovers are reunited. Their reunion marks the time of the Qixi Festival.
In Japan, Vega is called Orihime, a celestial princess or goddess. She falls in love with a mortal, Hikoboshi, represented by the star Altair. But when Orihime’s father finds out, he is enraged and forbids her to see this mere mortal. Then … you know the story. The two lovers are placed in the sky, separated by the Celestial River or Milky Way. Yet the sky gods are kind, and they reunite on the 7th night of the 7th moon each year. Sometimes Hikoboshi’s annual trip across the Celestial River is treacherous, though, and he doesn’t make it. In that case, Orihime’s tears form raindrops that fall over Japan.
In western skylore, Vega’s constellation Lyra is said to be the harp played by the legendary Greek musician Orpheus. It’s said that when Orpheus played this harp, neither god nor mortal could turn away.
Classification:
Vega's Spectra has large amounts of blue and green leading to the blueish white color observed here on earth.
Our Sun's Spectra includes higher levels of green yellow and red. Since green is interpreted by white by our eyes the suns yellow/white tint is represented.
H-R Diagram:
Vega is an “A0V main sequence star.” The “A0” signifies its temperature, whereas the “V” is a measure of energy output (luminosity), indicating that Vega is a normal star (not a giant). “Main sequence” again testifies to the fact that it belongs in the category of normal stars, and that it produces energy through stable fusion of hydrogen into helium. With a visual magnitude (apparent brightness) of 0.03
Lifetime:
At about 500 million years, Vega is already middle-aged.
Currently it is only about a tenth the age of our sun, and will run out of fuel in another half-billion years.
I could not find which generation star Vega is, but due to it containing some heavier elements it is at least generation 2.
Why does Vega spin?
More massive stars like Vega must spin faster because they formed from larger, more extensive clouds with more angular momentum than the cloud our sun formed from.
because of it’s rapid rotation, the diameter of it’s equator is larger than the radius of it’s poles, making Vega more of an egg-shaped star than a sphere. Vega’s lifespan is estimated to be about a billion years old (1/10 the age of our sun), after which Vega will turn into an M-class Red Giant and will eventually turn into a white dwarf
Vega has a photosphere metallicity of only about 32% of the abundance of heavy elements found in the Sun’s atmosphere. About 0.54% of Vega consists of elements heavier than helium. This chemical peculiarity suggests that Vega formed from an interstellar medium of gas and dust that was unusually metal-poor about 500-800 billion years ago.
Life?
The possibility of an asteroid belt orbiting Vega similar to ours hints at possible planets.
Vega’s belt, according to NASA, was formed by a collision of two Pluto sized dwarf planets within the last million years. It has been hypothesized that Vega may have a planet that is 5-10 times the mass of Jupiter. More studies are being done at the moment to confirm whether this hypothesis is true. It is unclear at the moment whether these hypothetical planets may contain life.
