Gamma Eridani
Gamma Eridani, formally named Zaurak, is a variable star in the constellation of Eridanus. It is visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude that varies around 2.9, and lies at a distance of about 203 light years from the Sun, as determined by the Hipparcos astrometry satellite. This is an evolved red giant star that is currently on the asymptotic giant branch of the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram.Nomenclature
Gamma Eridani is the star's Bayer designation. It has the traditional name Zaurak, alternatively spelled Zaurac, which is Arabic for 'boat'. In 2016, the International Astronomical Union organized a Working Group on Star Names to catalog and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN's first bulletin of July 2016 included a table of the first two batches of names approved by the WGSN; which included Zaurak for this star.
In Chinese, 天苑, meaning Celestial Meadows, refers to an asterism consisting of γ Eridani, δ Eridani, π Eridani, ε Eridani, ζ Eridani, η Eridani, π Ceti, τ1 Eridani, τ2 Eridani, τ3 Eridani, τ4 Eridani, τ5 Eridani, τ6 Eridani, τ7 Eridani, τ8 Eridani and τ9 Eridani. Consequently, the Chinese name for γ Eridani itself is 天苑一
USS Zaurak was a United States Navy Crater class cargo ship named after the star.
