Alkaid: how to find it and when to see it
Alkaid ranks 37th of the 74 bright stars on our list, at magnitude 1.85, in the constellation Ursa Major.
You can see it from anywhere north of 41° S, and it's highest in the evening sky in June.
Alkaid at a glance
- Constellation
- Ursa Major
- Magnitude
- 1.85
- Rank on our list
- 37 of 74
- Hemisphere
- Northern
- Right ascension
- 13 h 48 min
- Declination
- 49.3° north
- Visible from
- north of 41° S
- Never sets
- north of 41° N
- Best evening
- 3 June
- Name from
- Arabic
Where Alkaid is in the sky
Alkaid sits 49.3° north of the celestial equator, the line in the sky directly above Earth's equator, so it's in the northern half of the sky. Its right ascension is 13 h 48 min.
Right ascension works like longitude on the sky. It's counted in hours, and about one hour of it turns past you each hour of the night.
When and where to see Alkaid
From the northern hemisphere
From 40° N, the latitude of New York, Madrid and Beijing, Alkaid rises a little east of due north, climbs to 81° above the horizon in the north and sets a little west of due north.
It's in the evening sky from February to September, and it's highest in the evening around 3 June, in summer.
From the southern hemisphere
From 34° S, the latitude of Sydney, Cape Town and Buenos Aires, Alkaid rises in the north-east, climbs to 7° above the horizon in the north and sets in the north-west.
It never climbs more than 7° above the horizon, so you need a clear, low view to the north to spot it.
How high Alkaid climbs from each latitude
The evening is about 9 pm local time, or 10 pm in summer time, and later when the sky is still too bright. A star counts as in the evening sky when it's at least 10° above the horizon.
| Latitude | Visibility | Highest point | Evening sky |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60° N | Never sets | 79° in the south | All year |
| 50° N | Never sets | 89° in the south | Jan to Nov |
| 40° N | Rises and sets | 81° in the north | Feb to Sep |
| 30° N | Rises and sets | 71° in the north | Feb to Sep |
| 20° N | Rises and sets | 61° in the north | Mar to Aug |
| Equator | Rises and sets | 41° in the north | Apr to Aug |
| 20° S | Rises and sets | 21° in the north | May to Jul |
| 34° S | Rises and sets | 7° in the north | None |
| 45° S | Never rises | Below the horizon | None |
What the name Alkaid means
Alkaid comes from the Arabic al-qāʾid, the leader. It's the last star of the Plough's handle.
Keep the sky of a night that matters
Our star maps show the stars above any place, at the minute you choose, with the constellation lines drawn in. If Alkaid was above the horizon that night, it's on your map, and we print it on museum-grade paper.
Questions about Alkaid
Alkaid is in Ursa Major. It sits 49.3° north of the celestial equator, at a right ascension of 13 h 48 min.
Alkaid is highest in the evening sky around 3 June. That's summer in the northern hemisphere and winter in the southern hemisphere.
Yes, from anywhere north of 41° S. From 34° S, it climbs to 7° above the horizon in the north.
Alkaid has a magnitude of 1.85, which ranks it 37th of the 74 bright stars on our list. Sirius looks about 21 times brighter.
Alkaid comes from the Arabic al-qāʾid, the leader. It's the last star of the Plough's handle.