Pi Puppis

Pi Puppis, also called Ahadi, is a multiple star system in the constellation Puppis. Its brightest component is a red supergiant surrounded by fainter stellar companions.

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Multiple star: A star system in which two or more stars are gravitationally bound. Pi Puppis is classified as a multiple system rather than a single star.
Visual binary: A binary star whose components can be resolved separately in the sky. Resolved components provide one way to identify multiplicity in bright star systems.
Bayer designation: A star-naming system using Greek letters followed by the Latin genitive of a constellation. The name Pi Puppis follows this traditional designation system.
Canopus: The brightest star in the constellation Carina and the second-brightest star in the night sky. Canopus lies near Pi Puppis in the southern sky and dominates the wider region.
Red supergiant: A massive, luminous star in a late evolutionary stage, with a greatly expanded and relatively cool outer atmosphere. The primary component of Pi Puppis is a red supergiant.
Astrometry: The measurement of celestial objects’ positions and motions across the sky. Precise positions and motion help characterize the components of Pi Puppis.
Star catalog: A systematic listing of stars with identifiers and measured properties. Catalog entries make Pi Puppis’s coordinates and classifications accessible.
Naos: The proper name of Zeta Puppis, a luminous blue supergiant in Puppis. Naos is another prominent named star in the same constellation.
Stellar companion: A star that orbits another star as part of a gravitationally bound system. Fainter companions make Pi Puppis a multiple star system.
Stellar evolution: The changes in a star’s structure, luminosity, and composition over its lifetime. The supergiant component’s present state reflects its advanced evolution.