Alioth
The brightest star of the Big Dipper, the first star of its handle.
Tonight from
Rise, highest point and set are worked out on your device for the place above.
What it is
- Brightness
- Magnitude 1.76, the 35th brightest star in the night sky
- Distance
- 83 light years
- Kind of star
- White star, spectral type A0
- Light it gives out
- About 110 times the Sun’s, in visible light
- Constellation
- Ursa Major, where it is ε Ursae Majoris
- Catalogue number
- HIP 62956
Figures from HYG database 4.1 (Hipparcos, Yale Bright Star and Gliese catalogues), CC BY-SA 4.0. All sources
Near it in the sky
- MizarA white main-sequence star in Ursa Major, about three fingers away.
- Pinwheel GalaxyA galaxy in Ursa Major, about a fist away.
- Whirlpool GalaxyA galaxy in Canes Venatici, about a fist away.
- AlkaidA blue-white main-sequence star in Ursa Major, about a fist away.
- DubheA bright star in Ursa Major, about a hand span away.