flestar

Flestar is a name used in fictional astronomy and educational contexts to designate a hypothetical, Sun-like star. It is not a real, cataloged object in major astronomical databases. The term is commonly employed as a convenient shorthand when teaching stellar properties such as luminosity, effective temperature, and the location of the habitable zone around a main-sequence star. In problems and simulations, Flestar often serves as a benchmark case because its assumed parameters yield straightforward calculations for distance modulus, apparent magnitude, and planetary orbits, allowing students to explore radiative balance and orbital dynamics without reference to a specific real star.

Etymology and variants: The name Flestar blends "flare" and "star" to evoke brightness, and it is sometimes presented as Flestar or Flestar in different curricula. There is no canonical set of properties; educators select values consistent with the lesson, typically a spectral type near F5 to G0 and a luminosity similar to the Sun.

In fiction: Beyond education, Flestar appears as a fictional primary star in several science fiction novels, video games, or role-playing game campaigns. In such depictions, Flestar may host a planetary system with diverse worlds and civilizations, but its characteristics vary by author. Because it is fictional, Flestar serves more as a narrative device than as an attempt at realistic astronomy.

Related topics include the Sun, the habitable zone, and stellar astrophysics.