To Ancient Astronomers, Theta Eridani Was Brighter For A Thousand Years. Now We Know Why

Theta Eridani was considered one of the thirteen brightest stars by ancient astronomers, but it's not that luminous now. That mismatch has puzzled modern day astronomer, who've struggled to understand the discrepancy. But modern observations show it's actually a triple star system, and mass transfer between the stars can explain its ancient luminosity. Image Credit: STScI/DSS

Ptolemy and al-Sufi were keen ancient astronomers, one in Greece and one in Persia, whose observations were separated by almost a thousand years. They both noted that the star Theta Eridani was far brighter than it is today. Now we know why.

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