- Stars with a name
- 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 temperature is about 9,800 degrees Celsius.
It is 358.4 light years away: 3391 trillion kilometres.