Arabic star names / Algol
Algol
رأس الغول
Algol comes from the Arabic رأس الغول (Raʾs al-Ghūl), which means “the ghoul's head”. It is the 61st-brightest star in the sky, in Perseus.
- Brightness
- 2.09
- Colour
- white
- Constellation
- Perseus
- Best seen
- December evenings
- Right ascension
- 3h 08m
- Declination
- +40° 57′
The name
Every 2 days and 21 hours it dims to a third of its brightness for a few hours, as a fainter companion passes in front of it. The ominous name may hint that people noticed.
Where you can see it
It rises everywhere north of 49°S. From Riyadh it climbs to 74° above the horizon. From London it climbs to 79° above the horizon. From Sydney it climbs to 15° above the horizon.
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