Alpha Arietis (α Ari / α Arietis) is the brightest star in the constellation Aries. It also has the traditional names Hamal and El Nath. Its Flamsteed designation is 13 Arietis, but this is very rarely used because it is a bright star with a Bayer designation. In astronomy, an epoch is a moment in time for which celestial coordinates or orbital elements are specified. ... The J2000. ... Orion is a remarkable constellation, visible from most places on the globe (but not always the whole year long). ... Aries ( , Latin for Ram) is one of the constellations of the zodiac. ... Right ascension (RA; symbol α: Greek letter alpha; celestial longitude) is the astronomical term for one of the two coordinates of a point on the celestial sphere when using the equatorial coordinate system. ... In astronomy, declination (dec) is one of the two coordinates of the equatorial coordinate system, the other being either right ascension or hour angle. ... The apparent magnitude (m) of a star, planet or other heavenly body is a measure of its apparent brightness; that is, the amount of light received from the object. ... Proximity (2001) is also a movie with Rob Lowe, Fred Ward and James Coburn. ... A light year, abbreviated ly, is the distance light travels in one year: roughly 9. ... The parsec (symbol pc) is a unit of length used in astronomy. ... In astronomy, stellar classification is a classification of stars based initially on photospheric temperature and its associated spectral characteristics, and subsequently refined in terms of other characteristics. ... In astronomy, many stars are referred to simply by catalogue numbers. ... In astronomy, many stars are referred to simply by catalogue numbers. ... The Henry Draper Catalogue is an astronomy catalogue with astrometric and spectroscopic data about more than 225,000 stars. ... In astronomy, many stars are referred to simply by catalogue numbers. ... In astronomy, many stars are referred to simply by catalogue numbers. ... Fifth Fundamental Catalogue is a glossary of positions of stars. ... In astronomy, many stars are referred to simply by catalogue numbers. ... In astronomy, many stars are referred to simply by catalogue numbers. ... Orion is a remarkable constellation, visible from most places on the globe (but not always the whole year long). ... Aries ( , Latin for Ram) is one of the constellations of the zodiac. ... Flamsteed designations for stars are similar to Bayer designations, except that they use numbers instead of Greek letters. ... Many of the brighter stars are given names which are known as Bayer designations. ...

The name "Hamal" derives from the Arabic name for the constellation as a whole, Al Ħamal, "the sheep". Because of the confusion between star and constellation, the star is also (rarely) referred to as راس حمل rās al-ħamal, "head of the sheep".

The star is a K2 IIICa giant star, which means it is a orangish, large star (some 55 times brighter, 18 times larger in diameter, and 4.5 times more massive than the sun), while the "Ca" notation indicates calcium lines in its spectrum. It is slightly variable, by about 0.05 magnitude. General Name, Symbol, Number calcium, Ca, 20 Chemical series alkaline earth metals Group, Period, Block 2, 4, s Appearance silvery white Atomic mass 40. ... Legend: γ = Gamma rays HX = Hard X-rays SX = Soft X-Rays EUV = Extreme ultraviolet NUV = Near ultraviolet Visible light NIR = Near infrared MIR = Moderate infrared FIR = Far infrared Radio waves: EHF = Extremely high frequency (Microwaves) SHF = Super high frequency (Microwaves) UHF = Ultrahigh frequency VHF = Very high frequency HF = High frequency...

The Hipparcos satellite indicates that Hamal is about 65.9 light-years from Earth. Combined with its intrinsic brightness, this relatively small distance makes the star shine at an apparent magnitude of 2.01, the 47th brightest star in the sky. Hipparcos (for High Precision Parallax Collecting Satellite) was an astrometry mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) dedicated to the measurement of stellar parallax and the proper motions of stars. ... A light year (or light-year), abbreviated ly, is the distance light travels in one year: about 9. ...

Hamal's orientation with relation to the Earth's orbit around the sun gives it a certain importance not apparent from its modest brightness. In antiquity, the apparent path of the sun through the Earth's sky places it in Aries at the start of spring (which is why most astrology columns in modern newspapers begin with Aries). While the equinox has moved to Pisces since then due to precession, Hamal has remained in mind as the brightest star at what was apparently an important place when people first studied the night sky. The Sun (or Sol) is the star at the center of our Solar system. ... Spring is one of the four seasons of temperate zones. ... An astrological chart (or horoscope) - Y2K Chart — This particular chart is calculated for January 1, 2000 at 12:01:00 A.M. Eastern Standard Time in New York City, New York, USA. (Longitude: 074W0023 - Latitude: 40N4251), using the tropical zodiac Astrology (from Greek: αστρολογία = άστρον, astron, star + λόγος, logos, word) is... Illumination of Earth by Sun on the day of equinox In astronomy, an equinox is defined as the moment when the sun reaches one of two intersections between the ecliptic and the celestial equator. ... Pisces ( , Latin for fish (plural)) is a zodiac constellation which lies between Aquarius to the west and Aries to the east. ... There are two types of precession, torque-free and torque-induced, the latter being discussed here in more detail. ...