ε Ursae Minoris (epsilon Ursae Minoris)

ε Ursae Minoris is a variable and double giant star in the constellation of Ursa Minor.

ε Ursae Minoris visual magnitude is 4.23. Because of its moderate brightness, ε Ursae Minoris should be easily visible from locations with dark skyes, while it can be barely visible, or not visible at all, from skyes affected by light pollution.

The table below summarizes the key facts about ε Ursae Minoris:

Celestial coordinates and finder chart of ε Ursae Minoris

ε Ursae Minoris is situated close to the northern celestial pole and, as such, it is visible for most part of the year from the northern hemisphere. Celestial coordinates for the J2000 equinox as well as galactic coordinates of ε Ursae Minoris are provided in the following table:

The simplified sky map below shows the position of ε Ursae Minoris in the sky:

Visibility of ε Ursae Minoris from your location

ε Ursae Minoris (epsilon Ursae Minoris) is circumpolar and transits at 21:58 UTC (altitude: 59.4°)

Digitized Sky Survey image of ε Ursae Minoris

The image below is a photograph of ε Ursae Minoris from the Digitized Sky Survey 2 (DSS2 - see the credits section) taken in the red channel. The area of sky represented in the image is 0.5x0.5 degrees (30x30 arcmins). The proper motion of ε Ursae Minoris is 0.017 arcsec per year in Right Ascension and 0.006 arcsec per year in Declination and the associated displacement for the next 10000 years is represented with the red arrow.

Distance of ε Ursae Minoris from the Sun and relative movement

ε Ursae Minoris is distant 346.44 light years from the Sun and it is moving towards the Sun at the speed of 11 kilometers per second.

Spectral properties of ε Ursae Minoris

ε Ursae Minoris belongs to spectral class G5 and has a luminosity class of III corresponding to a giant star.

The red dot in the diagram below shows where ε Ursae Minoris is situated in the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram.

ε Ursae Minoris star system properties

ε Ursae Minoris is a visual double star which can be observed only with the help of very large telescopes. The table below shows key information about the ε Ursae Minoris double sysyem:

Alternative designations of ε Ursae Minoris