Star profile

86 Ursae Majoris

3D likeness based on its real data · class A · ~8,500 K

What is 86 Ursae Majoris

86 Ursae Majoris belongs to the Great Bear, far from the famous Plough asterism but well within the broad limits the constellation occupies in the northern sky. It is a white A-type star whose light crosses 479 years before reaching us —it set out when Magellan was attempting the first circumnavigation of the globe. It shines quietly at magnitude 5.7, a clean candle among many more celebrated neighbours.

Where it is and when to see it

86 Ursae Majoris 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, when it culminates around midnight.

From London it never sets and culminates about 88° up.
From New York it never sets and culminates about 77° up.
From Sydney it culminates about 2° above the horizon.

It can be seen from anywhere north of 36° S.

It ranks no. 82 in brightness among the 124 stars of Ursa Major in our catalogue. To find it, start from Alioth, the brightest: it lies about 9° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).

The light you see today left it about 480 years ago.

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Astronomical data for 86 Ursae Majoris

Constellation: Ursa Major
Apparent magnitude: 5.70
Distance: 479.0 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 208.463° · Dec 53.729°
Catalogue: HIP 67848 · HD 121409

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Other stars in Ursa Major

Ursa Major has 124 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.

See all 124 stars in Ursa Major