Sky of Your Day
  1. Stars with a name
  2. Alkaphrah

Alkaphrah

κ Ursae Majoris

Alkaphrah is a white star, in the constellation Ursa Major. The light you see from it tonight left it around 1668.

Where to find it

From mid-northern latitudes, such as New York, Rome or Tokyo, it is best seen in the evening sky in January, February, March, April, May, and December.

Visible to the naked eye away from the brightest lights. Apparent magnitude 3.57.

What it’s like

It gives off 393 times as much light as the Sun.

Its surface is at about 10,000 degrees.

It is 358.4 light years away: 3391 trillion kilometres.

Other named stars in Ursa Major