- Stars with a name
- Alkaid
Alkaid
η Ursae Majoris
Alkaid is a very hot blue star, in the constellation Ursa Major. The light you see from it tonight left it around 1922.
Where to find it
From mid-northern latitudes, such as New York, Rome or Tokyo, it is best seen in the evening sky in February, March, April, May, June, July, and August.
Bright enough to see even from a city. Apparent magnitude 1.85.
What it’s like
It gives off 161 times as much light as the Sun.
Its surface temperature is about 11,300 degrees Celsius.
It is 103.9 light years away: 983 trillion kilometres.