The star Mirfak is a relatively unremarkable celestial body, designated as a faint point of light within the constellation Per. It is part of the Per constellation, identified by its position within the Virgo Ursae Major stellar belt. Primarily residing a

Mirfak’s recognizable nature in the sky primarily stems from its placement within the Virgo Ursae Major stellar belt. The constellation itself is characterized as ‘the constellation Per’ suggesting it possesses a relatively stable, somewhat diffused emission. It’s distant nature and lack of prominent features – such as swirling dust or intense stellar brightness – leads to it being largely overshadowed by other brighter constellations. There is no particular color or spectral type associated with Mirfak, and its spectral type appears to be rather uniform; it's primarily considered a ‘cool’ star. It’s position within this wider stellar field contributes to its slight dimness despite its distance.

Some might choose Mirfak as a symbolic dedication – a subtle, quietly powerful marker – perhaps representing a quest for distant understanding or a faint promise within the vast expanse of space. It’s a node in a larger network of stars; an unassuming, long-lived point of light that quietly influences the observable universe. Its isolation, combined with its lack of dramatic visual display, signifies a deliberate point of existence – a small, enduring signal amidst the infinite.

How to see it

Mirfak has a visual magnitude of about 1.79: under a reasonably dark sky it is typically reachable with the unaided eye.

Sky position

Equatorial coordinates for Mirfak: right ascension 3h 24m 19s, declination +49° 51′ 40″ (J2000), in the region of the Perseus constellation (IAU figure Per).

Perseus — Explore by constellation

Catalog context

Mirfak. It appears in classical and modern catalogs as Bayer/Flamsteed designation 33Alp Per, HIP 15863, HD 20902, Gaia DR3 HYG-HIP-15863. In the SkyKeepsake Perseus (Per) browse hub it sits with other stars of the same IAU figure.

Catalog identifiers

Gaia

Gaia DR3 HYG-HIP-15863

HIP

15863

HD

20902

gaia_dr3

HYG-HIP-15863

Bayer / Flamsteed

33Alp Per

Also known as

• 33Alp Per
• Gaia DR3 TOP 5M HYG-HIP-15863
• HD 20902
• HIP 15863
• HYG-HIP-15863

Observed properties

Visual magnitude

1.79