The AsterNym star registry
Pherkad
Pherkad: the white star of Ursa Minor
white · Ursa Minor · γ UMi
Pherkad is a white star, burning hotter than our own Sun in the constellation Ursa Minor, one of the few thousand stars bright enough to carry an officially recognised name. On a dark, clear night you can find it with your own eyes.
Most stars in the sky are anonymous points of light. Pherkad 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
Pherkad at a glance
- Constellation
- Ursa Minor
- Other name
- γ UMi
- Catalogue number
- HIP 75097
- Distance
- ≈ 480 light-years
- Brightness
- Magnitude 3.05 naked-eye
- Star type
- A3 II-III
- Colour
- white
- Best seen from
- The far northern sky
- Right ascension
- 15h 20m 44s
- Declination
- +71° 50′ 02″
Coordinates are J2000 epoch, checkable against any astronomical source or planetarium app.
What could a Pherkad dedication represent?
Pherkad 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 Pherkad?
It is a deep-northern star: easy from Europe, North America and northern Asia, but it never rises for observers south of about latitude 18°S.
Pherkad belongs to Ursa Minor.
Dedicate Pherkad to someone who matters
A flower fades. A card is eventually put away. A star gives your message a place in the sky.
Your Pherkad dedication includes:
- · Your chosen dedication name
- · Your personal message
- · Pherkad's real astronomical coordinates
- · A shareable dedication page
- · Its location on the AsterNym Galaxy Map
- · An optional printable certificate and gift presentation
Pherkad keeps its established astronomical name. Your dedication is a personal commemorative record within the AsterNym registry.
Frequently asked questions about Pherkad
- Is Pherkad the brightest star?
- Pherkad shines at magnitude 3.05 — visible to the naked eye on a clear night, one of the few thousand stars with an officially recognised name.
- How far away is Pherkad?
- Pherkad is approximately 480 light-years from Earth. The light reaching us tonight began its journey around 480 years ago.
- Which constellation contains Pherkad?
- Pherkad is part of Ursa Minor.
- Can everyone see Pherkad?
- It is a deep-northern star: easy from Europe, North America and northern Asia, but it never rises for observers south of about latitude 18°S.
- Is dedicating Pherkad an official astronomical renaming?
- No. Pherkad 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.