| Observation data Epoch J2000.0 Equinox J2000.0 |
|
|---|---|
| Constellation | Ursa Major |
| Right ascension | 11h 46m 03.0s |
| Declination | +47° 46' 46" |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | +3.69 |
| Distance | 196 ± 7 ly (60 ± 2 pc) |
| Spectral type | K0.5IIIb |
| Other designations | |
Chi Ursae Majoris (χ UMa, χ Ursae Majoris) is a star in the constellation Ursa Major. It has the traditional names Alkafzah, Alkaphrah, and El Koprah.
Chi Ursae Majoris is an orange K-type giant with an apparent magnitude of +3.69. It is approximately 196 light years from Earth.
The Spiral Galaxy in Ursa Major, NGC 3877 (= H I.201), type Sc, is best found from Chi Ursae Majoris, which is almost exactly 15 arc minutes north of the galaxy.
In Chinese astronomy, Alkafzah is called Tae Yang Show, "the Sun Governor"[1]. The name was possibly derived from the word 太陽守, Pinyin: Tàiyángshǒu, meaning Guard of the Sun, because this star is marking itself and stand alone in Guard of the Sun asterism, Purple Forbidden enclosure (see : Chinese constellation).
|
|||||||||||||||||