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astronomy

Star of Artaban

Star of Artaban is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Star of Artaban rather than just read about it. In short: The Star of Artaban is a 287–carat cabochon-cut star sapphire currently located at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Its origin is somewhat obscure but it is believed to come from Sri Lanka.

Star of Artaban — main illustration
Star of Artaban — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Star of Artaban belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Star of Artaban to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Star of Artaban from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Star of Artaban is a 287–carat cabochon-cut star sapphire currently located at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Its origin is somewhat obscure but it is believed to come from Sri Lanka. Unlike some other sapphires, it is not transparent and is of a milky blue colour. It was donated by an anonymous member of the Georgia Mineral Society in the 1941–1943 time period. The name of the gem is based on the 1895 tale of The Other Wise Man by Henry van Dyke. The story's hero, Artaban, was a wise man from Persia who set out to join the Biblical Magi in their journey to see the newborn Jesus. He purchased three great gems, one of which was a sapphire, to present as a gift to the newborn king. He never achieved his goal, and gave his gems to the needy instead.

See also Star of Asia Star of Bombay Star of India (gem) Star of Adam List of individual gemstones List of sapphires by size

References

External links "HUGE SAPPHIRE IS SOLD.; ' Star of Artaban' to Be Displayed in Several Cities". The New York Times. 1936-01-28. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-06-27.

Illustrations

Star of Artaban: The 287–carat Star of Artaban, housed in the National Museum of Natural History, Washington D.C., is an unusually large blue star sapphire.
The 287–carat Star of Artaban, housed in the National Museum of Natural History, Washington D.C., is an unusually large blue star sapphire.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Star of Artaban

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Star of Artaban claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Star of Artaban before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Star of Artaban ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Star of Artaban

In research
Star of Artaban appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Star of Artaban in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Star of Artaban is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Gems of Sri Lanka, Individual sapphires, Jewelry in the Smithsonian Institution, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Star of Artaban outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
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How to study Star of Artaban in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Star of Artaban means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Star of Artaban out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Star of Artaban in simple terms?

The Star of Artaban is a 287–carat cabochon-cut star sapphire currently located at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Its origin is somewhat obscure but it is believed to come from Sri Lanka.

Why does Star of Artaban matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Star of Artaban?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Star of Artaban.

Tags

  • Gems of Sri Lanka
  • Individual sapphires
  • Jewelry in the Smithsonian Institution
  • Mineralogy stubs
  • Petrology stubs

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