Star
Phecda
White star · A0V SB
γ 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.
Phecda, also called Gamma Ursae Majoris, is a star in the constellation of Ursa Major. Since 1943, the spectrum of this star has served as one of the stable anchor points by which other stars are classified. Based upon parallax measurements with the Hipparcos astrometry satellite, it is located at a distance of around 83.2 light-years from the Sun.
Description from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
In your sky
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Key facts
Distance
~83.2 light-years
Apparent mag.
+2.41
Spectral type
A0V SB
Luminosity
61.5 × Sun
Absolute mag.
+0.38
Catalogue
HIP 58001
Spectral type
A0V SB
True colour from its B–V index (0.04): a surface around 9700 K.
Did you know
- Phecda is also known as γ Ursae Majoris.
- Its spectral type A0V SB marks it as a white star.
- It lies in the constellation Ursa Major.
