An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

The brightest star in the constellation → Orion (visual magnitude 0.18). A → blue supergiant of type B8 Iab with an initial mass of 17 solar masses, Rigel is 773 light-years away, and actually shines with the light of 40,000 Suns. It is accompanied by a fairly bright, seventh magnitude companion nine seconds of arc apart. The companion is itself double, the components much fainter and much less massive → main sequence stars of type B.

Etymology (EN): Rigel “foot,” short for Ar. rijl al-jauza’ (رجل‌الجوزاء) “the foot of jauza’.” The latter word means “the manifest one,” initially “black sheep with white middle.” The Gk. figure was translated as such because of its conspicuousness among other constellations.

Etymology (PE): Rejl, from Ar., as above.