Magnitude 3.72 | Constellation Ursa Major | |
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Similar Nu Ursae Majoris, Mu Ursae Majoris, Psi Ursae Majoris, Xi Ursae Majoris | ||
Chi Ursae Majoris (Chi UMa, χ Ursae Majoris, χ UMa) 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. This star has 20.8 ± 0.8 times the radius of the Sun.
In Chinese astronomy, Alkafzah is called Tai Yang Show, "the Sun Governor". 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).
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.