Star
Alkaid
Blue-white star · B3V SB
η Ursae Majoris · Ursa Major
Shown in its true colour — like most stars, it is too far away to photograph as more than a point of light.
Alkaid, also called Eta Ursae Majoris, is a star in the constellation of Ursa Major. It is the easternmost star in the Big Dipper asterism. However, unlike most stars of the Big Dipper, it is not a member of the Ursa Major moving group. With an apparent visual magnitude of +1.86, it is the third-brightest star in the constellation and one of the brightest stars in the night sky.
Description from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
In your sky
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Key facts
Distance
~104 light-years
Apparent mag.
+1.85
Spectral type
B3V SB
Luminosity
161 × Sun
Absolute mag.
−0.67
Catalogue
HIP 67301
Spectral type
B3V SB
True colour from its B–V index (-0.10): a surface around 11600 K.
Did you know
- Alkaid is also known as η Ursae Majoris.
- Its spectral type B3V SB marks it as a blue-white star.
- It lies in the constellation Ursa Major.
