- Stars with a name
- Alphard
Alphard
α Hydrae
Alphard is an orange giant, in the constellation Hydra. The light you see from it tonight left it around 1846.
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, and April.
Bright enough to see even from a city. Apparent magnitude 1.99.
What it’s like
It gives off 426 times as much light as the Sun.
Its surface is at about 3,900 degrees.
It is 180.3 light years away: 1706 trillion kilometres.