Pherkad is a white giant in Ursa Minor, the fainter of the two Guardians of the Pole that circle Polaris at the end of the Little Dipper.
At a glance
| type | white giant (class A) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 487 light-years (149 pc) |
| its light left it | 487 years ago |
| luminosity | 1,380 × the Sun |
| radius | 16.3 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 8,720 K |
| constellation | Ursa Minor (Little Bear) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Pherkad
Pherkad is a white giant of class A, far wider than the Sun and vastly more luminous. It is the most distant and most powerful of the bright stars of the Little Dipper.
Its name comes from the Arabic for the calf; in older Arabic tradition the two Guardians were the two calves. With Kochab it wheels around the north celestial pole, close enough to Polaris that, from mid-northern latitudes, it never sets.
What you see in the piece
From Earth Pherkad sits beside Kochab as a pair. In the piece it lies much further away, so flying out the Guardians drift apart in depth.
Questions
How far away is Pherkad?
Pherkad is 487 light-years (149 pc) from the Sun; its light left it 487 years ago.