Dubhe

Dubhe, designated Alpha Ursae Majoris, is a bright star in the northern constellation Ursa Major. It forms part of the Big Dipper asterism and, together with Merak, serves as a pair of pointer stars that guide observers toward Polaris, the North Star.

Dubhe lies at the end of the Big Dipper’s bowl and is one of the two brightest stars in Ursa Major. It has an apparent visual magnitude of about 1.8 and sits at a distance of roughly 123 light-years from Earth. As a result, it appears prominently in the northern sky for observers around the world.

The star is classified as a giant with a spectral type around K0III, indicating it has evolved off the main sequence and expanded to a larger radius. Its yellow-orange hue reflects its cooler surface temperature relative to blue-white main-sequence stars. Like many bright stars, Dubhe is a single point of light visible to the naked eye, though detailed studies have explored its spectral properties and motion through space.

The name Dubhe derives from Arabic, reflecting the traditional naming of stars in Ursa Major as part of a long history of astronomical observation. In cultural terms, the star remains a widely recognized reference point for navigation and for locating Polaris by drawing an imaginary line through Dubhe and Merak.

In summary, Dubhe is a prominent, evolved star in Ursa Major, notable for its brightness, its role as a pointer to Polaris, and its historical and cultural significance in star naming.