Merak

Bet

Its story

Merak, together with Dubhe, forms the two 'pointer stars' of the Great Bear: the imaginary line drawn between them, extended five times its length, leads straight to Polaris. For centuries that simple geometry let travellers find north with nothing but their eyes. It is a white A-type star about 80 light-years away — the light arriving now set out around 1946.

Constellation: Ursa Major
Apparent magnitude: 2.34
Distance: 79.8 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 165.460° · Dec 56.382°
Catalogue: HIP 53910 · HD 95418

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Symbolic commemorative gift — no ownership, no IAU recognition.