main-sequence star · B3V
Alkaid
Alkaid is a blue main-sequence star (spectral type B3V) about 104 light-years away. With an apparent magnitude of 1.85 it is a very bright, conspicuous star.
The tip of the handle of the Big Dipper.
Its light output is roughly 160 times that of the Sun (a rough estimate in visible light, calculated from brightness and distance).
From Germany (52° N) it never sets: it stays above the horizon all year.
Key facts
- Distance
- ≈ 104 light-years
- Spectral type
- B3V (main-sequence star)
- Colour
- Blue
- Apparent magnitude
- 1.85 mag
- Luminosity
- ≈ 160 × Sun
- Position
- Right ascension 13h 48m, declination 49.3°
More well-known stars
Data: Hipparcos / HYG catalogue (CC BY-SA 4.0). Luminosity and visibility are calculated estimates.