Girish Mahajan (Editor)

Kappa Ursae Majoris

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Magnitude
  
3.6

Apparent magnitude (V)
  
3.6

Constellation
  
Ursa Major

Kappa Ursae Majoris

Similar
  
Mu Ursae Majoris, Nu Ursae Majoris, Xi Ursae Majoris, Psi Ursae Majoris, Groombridge 1830

Kappa Ursae Majoris (Kappa UMa, κ Ursae Majoris, κ UMa) is a binary star in the constellation Ursa Major. It is approximately 358 light years from Earth and has the traditional names Talitha Australis, Al Kaprah, and Alphikra Australis.

Both components of the binary star are a white A-type main sequence dwarfs. They have apparent magnitudes of +4.2 and +4.5, which gives the system a combined apparent magnitude of +3.60. The orbital period of the binary is 35.6 years (13,007.2 days), and the two stars are separated by 0.18 arcseconds.

Name and etymology

  • The traditional name Talitha' (share with ι UMa) comes from the Arabic phrase Al Fiḳrah al Thalitha "the third spring, or leap, of the ghazal". The term Australis meaning "the south side" in Latin.
  • In Chinese, 三台 (Sān Tái), meaning Three Steps, refers to an asterism consisting of κ Ursae Majoris, ι Ursae Majoris, λ Ursae Majoris, μ Ursae Majoris, ν Ursae Majoris and ξ Ursae Majoris. Consequently, κ Ursae Majoris itself is known as 三台二 (Sān Tái èr, English: the Second Star of Three Steps) and 上台二 (Shàng Tái èr, English: Star of Second Upper Step).

    • References

    Kappa Ursae Majoris Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA