Achernar, designated as Alpha Eridani (or α Eridani), is a blue main sequence star in the southern constellation of Eridanus. The star is estimated to be less than a billion years old and is 140.2 light years away from Earth. It rotates so fast that it has a distinctive shape from usual stars. It doesn't look like a globe, but is flattened at poles due to the velocity of the spinning on its own axle, thus having the appearance of an eclipse or oval.
It is the ninth brightest star in the night sky, with an apparent magnitude of 0.40.