Q14061
Sign in to saveAlso known as The Crown Prince
Pherkad , also known as Gamma Ursae Minoris or γ Ursae Minoris, abbreviated Gamma UMi, γ UMi, is a star in the northern constellation of Ursa Minor. Together with Beta Ursae Minoris (Kochab), it forms the end of the dipper pan of the "Little Dipper", which is an asterism forming the tail of the bear. Based upon parallax measurements obtained during the Hipparcos mission, it is approximately from the Sun.
Astronomical data · SIMBAD
- Object type
- dS*
- Spectral type
- A2III
- Distance
- 494 light-years
- Redshift
- z = -0.000013008915096812679
- Coordinates
- RA 230.1821° · Dec 71.8340°
via SIMBAD · CDS Strasbourg
~3 min read
Encyclopedic overview
4 sectionsContents
- Nomenclature
- Properties
- Pherkad in fiction
- References
Pherkad , also known as Gamma Ursae Minoris or γ Ursae Minoris, abbreviated Gamma UMi, γ UMi, is a star in the northern constellation of Ursa Minor. Together with Beta Ursae Minoris (Kochab), it forms the end of the dipper pan of the "Little Dipper", which is an asterism forming the tail of the bear. Based upon parallax measurements obtained during the Hipparcos mission, it is approximately from the Sun.
==Nomenclature== γ Ursae Minoris (Latinised to Gamma Ursae Minoris) is the star's Bayer designation. The fainter 11 Ursae Minoris has been called γ1 Ursae Minoris, in which case Gamma Ursae Minoris would be designated γ2. However this usage is rarely seen.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Q14061” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.