Orange giant · Ursa Minor
Kochab
Also known as: β Ursae Minoris (β UMi), HIP 72607
mag 2.1130 light-years
About
Kochab (β Ursae Minoris) is an orange giant of magnitude 2.1 in Ursa Minor, about 130 light-years away.
How to find it
- Kochab is in the constellation Ursa Minor.
- Best evenings: around mid-June it is highest at about 9 pm (10 pm in summer time); a month earlier, two hours later.
- Where on Earth: it is seen well, at least 10° up, from north of 6° S.
- Star patterns: Little Dipper.
- Little Dipper: An orange giant; with Pherkad, one of the two Guardians of the Pole.
When it rises and sets tonight, how high it climbs and how much the Moon gets in the way are worked out in your browser for your place.
What you will see
- EyesEasy, even from town. Its orange-red tint is plain to see.
- Binoculars (10×50)A sharp point; binoculars bring out its colour and the fainter stars around it.
- Telescope (6–8 inch)Still a point of light at any magnification — stars are too far away to show a disc. Low in the sky, bright stars twinkle and flash colours.
Stars look the same in any instrument: brighter and sharper, but never bigger.
Facts
| Proper name | Kochab |
|---|---|
| Designation | β Ursae Minoris (β UMi) |
| Hipparcos number | HIP 72607 |
| Type | Orange giant |
| Spectral type | K4IIIvar |
| Colour | OrangeB−V colour index 1.47 |
| Magnitude | 2.1The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 130 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 1900. |
| Proper motion | 0.034″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Ursa Minor |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 14h 50m 42.4s |
| Declination (J2000) | +74° 09′ 20″ |
More in Ursa Minor
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →