Star profile
Alpha Comae Berenices
Binary systemWhat is Alpha Comae Berenices
Alpha Comae Berenices is a spectacular binary system of two near-twin yellow-white stars, just 47 light-years away. Its orbit, seen almost edge-on from Earth, could yield mutual eclipses visible roughly every twenty-six years —a rare phenomenon among such bright stars. It lies in the tresses of Berenice, the only constellation dedicated to a historical queen of ancient Egypt.
Where it is and when to see it
Alpha Comae Berenices lies in the northern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is March: the Sun sits at the opposite point of the sky and the star culminates around midnight. How high it climbs above the horizon depends on the latitude you watch from.
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Astronomical data for Alpha Comae Berenices
- Constellation
- Coma Berenices
- Apparent magnitude
- 5.17
- Distance
- 46.7 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 197.496° · Dec 17.529°
- Catalogue
- HYG 118869 · HD 114379
A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.
Other stars in Coma Berenices
Coma Berenices has 39 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- Beta Comae Berenices4.23
- DiademAlpha Comae Berenices4.32
- Gamma Comae Berenices4.35
- 24 Comae Berenices5.03
- 6 Comae Berenices5.09
- 27 Comae Berenices5.12
- 13 Comae Berenices5.17
- 17 Comae Berenices5.29