Orange giant · Ursa Major
ψ Ursae Majoris
Also known as: ψ UMa, HIP 54539
mag 3.0150 light-years
About
ψ Ursae Majoris is an orange giant of magnitude 3.0 in Ursa Major, about 150 light-years away.
How to find it
- ψ Ursae Majoris is in the constellation Ursa Major.
- Best evenings: around late April 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 36° 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
- EyesVisible from the suburbs on a clear night, but lost in bright city skies.
- 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 | ψ Ursae Majoris (ψ UMa) |
|---|---|
| Hipparcos number | HIP 54539 |
| Type | Orange giant |
| Spectral type | K1III |
| Colour | Pale orangeB−V colour index 1.14 |
| Magnitude | 3.0The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 150 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 1880. |
| Proper motion | 0.068″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Ursa Major |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 11h 09m 39.8s |
| Declination (J2000) | +44° 29′ 55″ |
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →