He got extra geek points, since the Altair computer was named after a planet in a Star Trek episode which happened to be rerunning as the inventor of the Altair was sitting around trying to think up a name for it. ;’)
In 2007, Altair became the first star, other than a giant or supergiant star (such as Betelgeuse), to have its surface ts surface features imaged. This feat was achieved by combining the light of four telescopes at Georgia State University's Center for High Resolution Angular Astronomy (CHARA). The results confirmed that Altair is spinning so rapidly on its axis that it is stretched out into an elongated shape. The image of Altair obtained by CHARA also revealed that the amount of distortion and changes in surface temperature at the equator differed from those predicted current theoretical models.
Altair in science fiction
Among many science fiction references to Altair, the planet Altair IV is the scene of the book and film Forbidden Planet. The planets Altair III, IV, and V are mentioned in various episodes of Star Trek. Although no planets have actually yet been detected by astronomers around Altair, extrasolar planet detection remains in its infancy and it remains entirely possible that future studies will reveal that Altair does indeed have a system of worlds. However, the star's relative youthfulness suggests that any life on such worlds would be quite primitive.
Science fiction film and subsequent novel written by W. J. Stuart. Released in 1956, Forbidden Planet was one of the most sophisticated of the pre-Space Age SF films. In it, a human crew journeys to the stars in a spacecraft indistinguishable from a flying saucer, and encounters the still-working artifacts of a long-dead civilization, the Krell. The plot was loosely based on Shakespeare's play The Tempest, with Walter Pidgeon cast in the role of Prospero. The film features a number of spectacular special effects, groundbreaking use of an all-electronic music score, and was the first screen appearance of the famous Robby the Robot.