Kochab
Also known as β UMi · HR 5563
Kochab is a star in the constellation Ursa Minor, about 130 light-years from Earth.
Facts
| Type | Star (spectral type K4-III) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Ursa Minor |
| Position (J2000) | 14h 50m 42s, +74° 09′ |
| Distance | 130 light-years (its light set off about 130 years ago) |
| Brightness | magnitude 2.08 (smaller is brighter; the faintest stars the eye sees are about 6) |
| Studied in | 348 scientific papers (SIMBAD) |
When and how to see it
Kochab is highest in the sky at midnight in May. From India (about 20° N) it climbs to about 36° above the horizon; from 50° N, to about 66°. To see it you need the naked eye, even from a town.
Heights are worked out for India and for 50° N. Set your location in Settings to see them for where you are.
For tonight's best time from your own town, the darkness and the Moon, open it on the map and see its "Tonight from your location" card.
More in Ursa Minor
Everything in Ursa Minor · All 88 constellations · All sky objects
Data: SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg; the site's weekly copy) · Data sources & credits