giant · K4III
Kochab
Kochab is a orange giant (spectral type K4III) about 131 light-years away. With an apparent magnitude of 2.07 it is easy to see even from a city.
The brightest star in the Little Dipper after Polaris; one of the two "Guardians of the Pole".
Its light output is roughly 200 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
- ≈ 131 light-years
- Spectral type
- K4III (giant)
- Colour
- Orange
- Apparent magnitude
- 2.07 mag
- Luminosity
- ≈ 200 × Sun
- Position
- Right ascension 14h 51m, declination 74.2°
More well-known stars
Data: Hipparcos / HYG catalogue (CC BY-SA 4.0). Luminosity and visibility are calculated estimates.