Gamma Ursae Minoris

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Gamma Ursae Minoris
Diagram showing star positions and boundaries of the Ursa Minor constellation and its surroundings
Cercle rouge 100%.svg

Location of γ Ursae Minoris (circled)
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0
Constellation Ursa Minor
Right ascension 15h 20m 43.71604s[1]
Declination +71° 50′ 02.4596″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V) +3.05[2]
Characteristics
Spectral type A2 III[3]
U−B color index +0.08[2]
B−V color index +0.09[2]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv) −3.9[4] km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: −17.73[1] mas/yr
Dec.: +17.90[1] mas/yr
Parallax (π) 6.70 ± 0.11[1] mas
Distance 487 ± 8 ly
(149 ± 2 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV) –2.84[5]
Details
Radius 15[6] R☉
Luminosity 1,100[6] L☉
Surface gravity (log g) 2.53[7] cgs
Temperature 8,280[8] K
Rotational velocity (v sin i) 180[9] km/s
Other designations
Pherkad, Pherkad Major, Gamma Ursae Minoris, 13 Ursae Minoris, HR 5735, BD+72°679, HD 137422, SAO 8220, HIP 75097
Database references
SIMBAD data

Gamma Ursae Minoris (γ UMi, γ Ursae Minoris; also 13 UMi) is a star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Minor. It has the traditional name Pherkad, which derives from the Arabic فرقد farqad "calf", short for aḫfa al farkadayn "the dim one of the two calves", Pherkad and Kochab. (The full name Ahfa al Farkadain is now applied to Zeta Ursae Minoris.) Gamma Ursae Minoris is sometimes called Pherkad Major to distinguish it from 11 Ursae Minoris Pherkad Minor. Together with Beta Ursae Minoris, or Kochab, Gamma forms the end of the dipper pan of the "Little Dipper", which is a colloquial name for the constellation. Pherkad and Kochab are sometimes called the "Guardians of the Pole" or the "Indestructibles"[citation needed], as they appear to circle around the north star Polaris as the Earth rotates.[6]

In Chinese, 北極 (Běi Jí), meaning North Pole, refers to an asterism consisting of γ Ursae Minoris, β Ursae Minoris, 5 Ursae Minoris, 4 Ursae Minoris and Σ 1694.[10] Consequently, γ Ursae Minoris itself is known as 北極一 (Běi Jí yī, English: the First Star of North Pole.),[citation needed] representing 太子 (Tàizǐ), meaning Crown Prince[11]

Gamma Ursae Minoris has apparent magnitude +3.05[2] and can be readily observed with the naked eye even in a city-lit night sky. Based upon parallax measurements, it is approximately 487 light-years (149 parsecs) from Earth,[1] giving it an absolute magnitude of –2.84.[5] Measurement of the star's spectrum resulted in a stellar classification of A3 Iab, with the luminosity class of 'Iab' indicating this is an intermediate luminosity supergiant star. The effective temperature of the star's outer envelope is 8,280 K,[8] giving it the typical white hue of an A-type star.[12] It is rotating rapidly, with the projected rotational velocity of 180 km s−1[9] providing a lower limit on the azimuthal velocity along the star's equator.

This is classified as a shell star that has a circumstellar disk of gas around the star's equator, which may be causing it to vary in magnitude.[7] It is 1100 times more luminous than the Sun, and possesses a radius 15 times that of the Sun.[6]

Pherkad in fiction

Star Pherkad (spelled as Pherkard) also features in Cthulhu Mythos, in the short story "The Thing in the Library", by Crispin Burnham and E.P. Berglund. This star is mentioned as the stellar abode of the flaming Outer God Yomagn'tho.[13]

References

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Preceded by Pole Star
1900 BC–500		 Succeeded by
Polaris

Coordinates: Sky map 15h 20m 43.7155s, +71° 50′ 02.458″

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ (Chinese) 中國星座神話, written by 陳久金. Published by 台灣書房出版有限公司, 2005, ISBN 978-986-7332-25-7.
  11. ↑ (Chinese) 香港太空館 - 研究資源 - 亮星中英對照表, Hong Kong Space Museum. Accessed on line November 23, 2010.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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