Star
Dubhe
Yellow-white star · F7V comp
α 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.
Dubhe is a multiple star system in the northern constellation of Ursa Major. It is formally designated Alpha Ursae Majoris, Latinised from α Ursae Majoris, Despite being designated "α" (alpha), it is the second-brightest object in the constellation. Alpha Ursae Majoris is the northern of the 'pointers', the second being Beta Ursae Majoris, or 'Merak' – this pair of stars point towards Polaris, the North Star. α Ursae Majoris is located at a distance of approximately 123 light years from the Sun, based on parallax measurements.
Description from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
In your sky
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Key facts
Distance
~123 light-years
Apparent mag.
+1.81
Spectral type
F7V comp
Luminosity
233 × Sun
Absolute mag.
−1.07
Catalogue
HIP 54061
Spectral type
F7V comp
True colour from its B–V index (1.06): a surface around 4600 K.
Did you know
- Dubhe is also known as α Ursae Majoris.
- Its spectral type F7V comp marks it as a yellow-white star.
- It lies in the constellation Ursa Major.
