Fomalhaut is the brightest star in the constellation Piscis Austrinus and one of the brightest stars in the sky. It is a class A star on the main sequence approximately 25 light-years (7.7 pc) from Earth as measured by the Hipparcos astrometry satellite. Since 1943, the spectrum of this star has served as one of the stable anchor points by which other stars are classified. It is classified as a Vega-like star that emits excess infrared radiation, indicating it is surrounded by a circumstellar disk. Fomalhaut, K-type star TW Piscis Austrini and M-type star LP 876-10 constitute a triple system even though the companions are separated by several degrees.
Fomalhaut holds a special significance in extrasolar planet research, as it is the center of the first stellar system with an extrasolar planet candidate (Fomalhaut b) imaged at visible wavelengths. The image was published in Science in November 2008. Fomalhaut is the third brightest star known to have a planetary system (as viewed from Earth), after Pollux and the Sun.
In the Mythos[]
Fomalhaut is the abode of the fiery Cthugha, who can only be summoned to Earth when the star is visible in the night sky (AWD: "The House on Curwen Street", "The Dweller in Darkness"). It is also the birthplace of Cthugha's son, Aphoom-Zhah, who later settled on Neptune and finally Earth (EXP: "The Acolyte of the Flame").
In the Doctor Who universe, it is orbited by the planet Veltroch, one of the worlds that harbours legends about the Great Old Ones. (EXP: White Darkness)