- Stars with a name
- Alkes
Alkes
α Crateris
Alkes is an orange giant, in the constellation Crater. The light you see from it tonight left it around 1867.
Where to find it
From mid-northern latitudes, such as New York, Rome or Tokyo, it is best seen in the evening sky in March and April.
Visible to the naked eye away from the brightest lights. Apparent magnitude 4.08.
What it’s like
It gives off 48 times as much light as the Sun.
Its surface is at about 4,600 degrees.
It is 159.2 light years away: 1506 trillion kilometres.