Alpheca – a significant star within the CrB constellation, easily visible to the naked eye. This celestial body, designated as 5Alp CrB, is approximately 77.21 light years distant. Alpheca measures a visual magnitude of 2.269, placing it within the relati

Alpheca shines as a blue-shifted variable star, receiving light from a distant source. Its characteristics indicate it’s a relatively young star, boasting a substantial velocity – a 118.9 mas/year period – due to its significant parallax. This parallax rate, and subsequent measurements, underscore its dynamic nature and its position within the Milky Way. The observed distance of 77.21 light years is a fairly accurate value for this particular star’s location within the galaxy.

For millennia, observers have charted Alpheca’s placement – specifically within the constellation CrB – as a marker of celestial movement and alignment. In historical astrological contexts, Alpheca was often associated with themes of change, regeneration, and female power. It serves as a recognizable point for contemplating cycles and the constant renewal of the cosmos, evoking the idea of a planet guiding the journey of humanity.

Interestingly, Alpheca possesses a unique and relatively rapid rotation velocity, relative to other stellar types at its distance, presenting an intriguing topic for astronomers observing stellar evolution. The ongoing observations of this variable star are intended to reveal important insights into the processes occurring within stars this size.

How to see it

Alphecca has a visual magnitude of about 2.27: under a reasonably dark sky it is typically reachable with the unaided eye.

Sky position

Equatorial coordinates for Alphecca: right ascension 15h 34m 41s, declination +26° 42′ 51″ (J2000), in the region of the Corona Borealis constellation (IAU figure CrB).

Corona Borealis — Explore by constellation

Catalog context

Alphecca. It appears in classical and modern catalogs as Bayer/Flamsteed designation 5Alp CrB, HIP 76267, HD 139006, Gaia DR3 1222646935698492160. In the SkyKeepsake Corona Borealis (CrB) browse hub it sits with other stars of the same IAU figure.

Catalog identifiers

Gaia

Gaia DR3 1222646935698492160

HIP

76267

HD

139006

gaia_dr3

1222646935698492160

Bayer / Flamsteed

5Alp CrB

Also known as

• 5Alp CrB
• Gaia DR3 TOP 5M 1222646935698492160
• HD 139006
• HIP 76267

Observed properties

Visual magnitude

2.27