Beta Ursae Minoris

500 L ☉

Kochab ( from Arabic. الكوكب al - Kaukab or al - Kokab " the star") or β Ursae Minoris (Beta Ursae Minoris, short β UMi ) is the name of the second brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor ( Little Dipper ). Originally it was called الكوكب الشمالي al - Kaukab ash- schemali, "The Star of the North" and was Arab astronomers as Polaris. He has since moved from this position due to the precession of the earth.

Kochab is with an apparent magnitude of 2.1 may be clearly seen with the naked eye, and together with Pherkad the conclusion of the case of the " Little Dipper ". He can be seen on the northern hemisphere to 16 ° north latitude as circumpolar star.

He is an orange-red giant star, is of spectral type K4 and the luminosity class III to. Its distance from the Sun is about 130 light-years. Kochab deemed to be a single star.

Swell

• SIMBAD

• Individual star of the second magnitude
• Little Dipper
• Giant