The AsterNym star registry
Baekdu
Baekdu: the warm orange star of Ursa Minor
warm orange · Ursa Minor · 8 UMi
Baekdu is a warm orange giant, far along its stellar life in the constellation Ursa Minor, one of the few thousand stars bright enough to carry an officially recognised name. It rewards a pair of binoculars on a clear night.
Most stars in the sky are anonymous points of light. Baekdu is not — it has held a name across generations of sky-watchers, which makes it a rare thing to attach a name of your own to.
Real star · Personal dedication · Recorded in the AsterNym registry
See what a dedicated page looks like — preview
Baekdu at a glance
- Constellation
- Ursa Minor
- Other name
- 8 UMi
- Catalogue number
- HIP 73136
- Distance
- ≈ 522 light-years
- Brightness
- Magnitude 6.83 telescope
- Star type
- K0
- Colour
- warm orange
- Best seen from
- The far northern sky
- Right ascension
- 14h 56m 48s
- Declination
- +74° 54′ 03″
Coordinates are J2000 epoch, checkable against any astronomical source or planetarium app.
What could a Baekdu dedication represent?
Baekdu is especially meaningful for someone who:
- · Deserves something older than any gift shop
- · Marks a beginning, an anniversary or a promise
- · Is remembered every time you look up
- · Has a light you want recorded somewhere permanent
Dedication idea
“For the one I think of when I find Ursa Minor in the sky.”
Where can you see Baekdu?
It is a deep-northern star: easy from Europe, North America and northern Asia, but it never rises for observers south of about latitude 15°S.
Baekdu belongs to Ursa Minor.
Dedicate Baekdu to someone who matters
A flower fades. A card is eventually put away. A star gives your message a place in the sky.
Your Baekdu dedication includes:
- · Your chosen dedication name
- · Your personal message
- · Baekdu's real astronomical coordinates
- · A shareable dedication page
- · Its location on the AsterNym Galaxy Map
- · An optional printable certificate and gift presentation
Baekdu keeps its established astronomical name. Your dedication is a personal commemorative record within the AsterNym registry.
Frequently asked questions about Baekdu
- Is Baekdu the brightest star?
- Baekdu shines at magnitude 6.83 — a binocular-and-telescope star, one of the few thousand stars with an officially recognised name.
- How far away is Baekdu?
- Baekdu is approximately 522 light-years from Earth. The light reaching us tonight began its journey around 522 years ago.
- Which constellation contains Baekdu?
- Baekdu is part of Ursa Minor.
- Can everyone see Baekdu?
- It is a deep-northern star: easy from Europe, North America and northern Asia, but it never rises for observers south of about latitude 15°S.
- Is dedicating Baekdu an official astronomical renaming?
- No. Baekdu keeps its internationally recognised astronomical name. An AsterNym dedication records your personal name and message in the AsterNym registry without changing the star's scientific identity.