Alpha Ursae Majoris
Sign in to saveAlso known as 50 Ursae Majoris, HD 95689, The Celestial Pivot, HIP 54061, HIC 54061, NSV 5070, HR 4301, 50 UMa
Dubhe is a multiple star system in the northern constellation of Ursa Major. It is formally designated Alpha Ursae Majoris, Latinised from α Ursae Majoris, Despite being designated "α" (alpha), it is the second-brightest object in the constellation. Alpha Ursae Majoris is the northern of the 'pointers' (or 'guards'), the second being Beta Ursae Majoris, or 'Merak' – this pair of stars point towards Polaris, the North Star. α Ursae Majoris is located at a distance of approximately 123 light years from the Sun, based on parallax measurements.
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Encyclopedic overview
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Dubhe is a multiple star system in the northern constellation of Ursa Major. It is formally designated Alpha Ursae Majoris, Latinised from α Ursae Majoris, Despite being designated "α" (alpha), it is the second-brightest object in the constellation. Alpha Ursae Majoris is the northern of the 'pointers' (or 'guards'), the second being Beta Ursae Majoris, or 'Merak' – this pair of stars point towards Polaris, the North Star. α Ursae Majoris is located at a distance of approximately 123 light years from the Sun, based on parallax measurements.
Although it is part of the constellation of Ursa Major, it is not part of the Ursa Major Moving Group of stars that have a common motion through space.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Alpha Ursae Majoris” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.