Orange giant · Ursa Minor
θ Ursae Minoris
Also known as: θ UMi, HIP 76008
mag 5.0860 light-years
About
θ Ursae Minoris is an orange giant of magnitude 5.0 in Ursa Minor, about 860 light-years away.
How to find it
- θ Ursae Minoris is in the constellation Ursa Minor.
- Best evenings: around late 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 3° S.
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
- EyesNeeds a dark sky away from city lights.
- 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
| Designation | θ Ursae Minoris (θ UMi) |
|---|---|
| Hipparcos number | HIP 76008 |
| Type | Orange giant |
| Spectral type | K5III |
| Colour | Orange-redB−V colour index 1.54 |
| Magnitude | 5.0The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 860 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 1170. |
| Proper motion | 0.047″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Ursa Minor |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 15h 31m 25.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | +77° 20′ 58″ |
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →