bright giant · A3II
Pherkad
Pherkad is a blue-white bright giant (spectral type A3II) about 487 light-years away. With an apparent magnitude of 3 it is easy to see even from a city.
One of the two "Guardians of the Pole" in the Little Dipper.
Its light output is roughly 1,200 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
- ≈ 487 light-years
- Spectral type
- A3II (bright giant)
- Colour
- Blue-white
- Apparent magnitude
- 3 mag
- Luminosity
- ≈ 1,200 × Sun
- Position
- Right ascension 15h 21m, declination 71.8°
More well-known stars
Data: Hipparcos / HYG catalogue (CC BY-SA 4.0). Luminosity and visibility are calculated estimates.