{"id":162,"date":"2025-03-08T02:06:58","date_gmt":"2025-03-08T02:06:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/?p=162"},"modified":"2026-04-14T06:37:53","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T06:37:53","slug":"alioth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alioth\/","title":{"rendered":"Alioth (Epsilon Ursae Majoris)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Alioth, Epsilon Ursae Majoris (\u03b5 UMa), is the brightest star in the constellation\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/constellation-list\/ursa-major-constellation\/\">Ursa Major<\/a> (the Great Bear). It has an apparent magnitude of 1.77 and lies at a distance of 82.6 light years from Earth. It is the brightest of the seven stars that form the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/big-dipper\/\">Big Dipper<\/a>, one of the best-known asterisms in the northern sky. Alioth forms the Big Dipper\u2019s handle with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/mizar\/\">Mizar<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alkaid\/\">Alkaid<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alioth\/#Star_type\" >Star type<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alioth\/#Facts\" >Facts<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alioth\/#Name\" >Name<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alioth\/#Location\" >Location<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alioth\/#Constellation\" >Constellation<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Star_type\"><\/span>Star type<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Alioth has the stellar classification A1III-IVp kB9, indicating a white or blue-white giant or subgiant star with a peculiar (\u201cp\u201d) spectrum. The \u201ckB9\u201d suffix in the star\u2019s spectral class refers to the presence of the calcium K line, representative of the spectral type B9. However, the star\u2019s spectrum is mostly consistent with class A.<\/p>\n<p>Alioth has a mass 2.91 times that of the Sun and a radius 4.29 times solar. With a surface temperature of 8,908 K, it shines with a luminosity 104.4 times that of the Sun. The star has an estimated age of around 300 million years. It spins at 33 km\/s and has a rotation period of 5.1 days.<\/p>\n<p>Alioth is the brightest magnetic chemically peculiar class A star in the sky, followed by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/mahasim\/\">Mahasim<\/a> (Theta Aurigae) and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/cor-caroli\/\">Cor Caroli<\/a> (Alpha<sup>2<\/sup> Canum Venaticorum). Its spectrum is consistent with an Alpha<sup>2<\/sup>\u00a0Canum Venaticorum variable star. As the brightest MCP star and one with by far the largest angular diameter, Epsilon UMa is often a target of studies.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7789\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7789\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7789\" src=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Alioth-Epsilon-Ursae-Majoris-1.webp\" alt=\"alioth star,epsilon ursae majoris\" width=\"700\" height=\"483\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Alioth-Epsilon-Ursae-Majoris-1.webp 700w, https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Alioth-Epsilon-Ursae-Majoris-1-300x207.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-7789\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alioth (Epsilon Ursae Majoris), image credit: ESO\/Digitized Sky Survey 2 (<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY 4.0<\/a>)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Alpha<sup>2 <\/sup>Canum Venaticorum variables are chemically peculiar stars of the spectral class B8p to A7p, typically still on the main sequence. These stars have strong magnetic fields and prominent strontium, silicon or chromium spectral lines. Their spectral lines, magnetic fields and brightness vary, and the periods of the variations correspond to the stars\u2019 rotation periods.<\/p>\n<p>Alpha<sup>2<\/sup>\u00a0Canum Venaticorum variables were named after the prototype for this class of stars, known by the proper name\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/cor-caroli\/\">Cor Caroli<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/cor-caroli\/\">Cor Caroli<\/a>\u00a0(Alpha<sup>2<\/sup> CVn) is the brightest star in the constellation <a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/constellation-list\/canes-venatici-constellation\/\">Canes Venatici<\/a> (the Hunting Dogs). It is located in the same area of the sky as\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/constellation-list\/ursa-major-constellation\/\">Ursa Major<\/a>, just under the handle of the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/big-dipper\/\">Big Dipper<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Other relatively bright stars in this class include <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alpheratz\/\">Alpheratz<\/a> (Alpha Andromedae) in the constellation <a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/constellation-list\/andromeda-constellation\/\">Andromeda<\/a>, Alpha Doradus in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/constellation-list\/dorado-constellation\/\">Dorado<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alrescha-alpha-piscium\/\">Alrescha<\/a> (Alpha Piscium) in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/constellation-list\/pisces-constellation\/\">Pisces<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/nashira-gamma-capricorni\/\">Nashira<\/a> (Gamma Capricorni) in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/constellation-list\/capricornus-constellation\/\">Capricornus<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/mesarthim\/\">Mesarthim<\/a> (Gamma Arietis A) in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/constellation-list\/aries-constellation\/\">Aries<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Alioth\u2019s magnetic field separates different elements in the star\u2019s hydrogen supply in its core. The star\u2019s axis of rotation is positioned at an angle to its magnetic axis, and the different elements are spun into regions that come in and out of our line of sight as the star rotates. These elements react differently at different frequencies of light as the star spins. As a result, we see the star\u2019s spectral lines fluctuate over a period of 5.1 days.<\/p>\n<p>Alioth\u2019s rotational and magnetic poles are positioned at almost a 90-degree angle to one another. The abundance of oxygen is about 100,000 times greater around the magnetic equator than near the magnetic poles, and chromium is more densely concentrated in a band positioned at a right angle to the equator.<\/p>\n<p>Alioth has a very weak magnetic field compared to other variable stars in this class. Its magnetic field is about 15 times weaker than\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/cor-caroli\/\">Cor Caroli<\/a>\u2018s, but still about 100 times stronger than the Earth\u2019s.<\/p>\n<p>The star Alioth was long suspected to be a spectroscopic binary system. Some astronomers even suggested that it may have more than one companion or a large planet orbiting it. In 1913, Ludendorff proposed that the star was a spectroscopic binary, and in 2011, Roberts identified a possible companion at a separation of 0.11 arcseconds. However, more recent observations with the Navy Precision Optical Interferometer (NPOI) and other instruments did not identify any companions.<\/p>\n<p>In 2023, astronomers used the Navy Precision Optical Interferometer to measure the angular diameter of 33 stars, including Alioth. They <a href=\"https:\/\/iopscience.iop.org\/article\/10.3847\/1538-3881\/ad08be\">found<\/a> a diameter of 1.644 \u00b1 0.020 milliarcseconds and derived a physical radius of 4.29 solar radii for the star.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Facts\"><\/span>Facts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Alioth is one of the seven bright <a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/constellation-list\/ursa-major-constellation\/\">Ursa Major<\/a> stars that form the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/big-dipper\/\">Big Dipper<\/a>, the most recognizable asterism in the northern celestial hemisphere. The other six stars that form the bright star pattern are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alkaid\/\">Alkaid<\/a> (Eta Ursae Majoris), <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/mizar\/\">Mizar<\/a> (Zeta Ursa Majoris), <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/megrez\/\">Megrez<\/a> (Delta Ursae Majoris), <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/phecda\/\">Phecda<\/a> (Gamma Ursae Majoris), <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/dubhe\/\">Dubhe<\/a> (Alpha Ursae Majoris), and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/merak\/\">Merak<\/a> (Beta Ursae Majoris).<\/p>\n<p>Alioth, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/mizar\/\">Mizar<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alkaid\/\">Alkaid<\/a> form the Big Dipper\u2019s handle, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/megrez\/\">Megrez<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/phecda\/\">Phecda<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/merak\/\">Merak<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/dubhe\/\">Dubhe<\/a> form the bowl. The asterism is known by many other names in different cultures, including the Plough, the Great Wagon, and the Saucepan.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7790\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7790\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7790\" src=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Big-Dipper-stars.webp\" alt=\"seven stars of the big dipper,brightest stars in ursa major,big dipper asterism\" width=\"700\" height=\"426\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Big-Dipper-stars.webp 700w, https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Big-Dipper-stars-300x183.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-7790\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Big Dipper stars, image: Stellarium<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Alioth is, on average, the 32nd brightest star in the night sky. It is about as bright as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alnitak\/\">Alnitak<\/a>, the 31st brightest star and one of the three stars of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/orions-belt\/\">Orion\u2019s Belt<\/a>. The two stars are only slightly fainter than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alnair\/\">Alnair<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/constellation-list\/grus-constellation\/\">Grus<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alnilam\/\">Alnilam<\/a> in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/constellation-list\/orion-constellation\/\">Orion<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/miaplacidus-beta-carinae\/\">Miaplacidus<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/constellation-list\/carina-constellation\/\">Carina<\/a>, and they just outshine <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/mirfak\/\">Mirfak<\/a> in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/constellation-list\/perseus-constellation\/\">Perseus<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/dubhe\/\">Dubhe<\/a> in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/constellation-list\/ursa-major-constellation\/\">Ursa Major<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/regor\/\">Regor<\/a> in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/constellation-list\/vela-constellation\/\">Vela<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/dubhe\/\">Dubhe<\/a>, the second brightest star in Ursa Major, is only imperceptibly fainter than Alioth. Shining at magnitude 1.79, it appears equally bright as Alioth to the unaided eye.<\/p>\n<p>Alioth is a member of the Ursa Major Moving Group (Collinder 285), a stellar association that includes a number of bright stars, including most of those that form the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/big-dipper\/\">Big Dipper<\/a>. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alkaid\/\">Alkaid<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/dubhe\/\">Dubhe<\/a> are the only exceptions.)<\/p>\n<p>These stars are believed to have a common origin and share common velocities in space. All the stars are thought to have formed about 300 million years ago. The core of the group lies approximately 80 light years away. The brighter stream members outside Ursa Major include <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/menkalinan\/\">Menkalinan<\/a>\u00a0(Beta Aurigae) in the constellation <a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/constellation-list\/auriga-constellation\/\">Auriga<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/skat-delta-aquarii\/\">Skat<\/a> (Delta Aquarii) in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/constellation-list\/aquarius-constellation\/\">Aquarius<\/a>, Gamma Leporis in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/constellation-list\/lepus-constellation\/\">Lepus<\/a>, Zeta Bo\u00f6tis in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/constellation-list\/bootes-constellation\/\">Bo\u00f6tes<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alphecca\/\">Alphecca<\/a>\u00a0(Alpha Coronae Borealis) in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/constellation-list\/corona-borealis-constellation\/\">Corona Borealis<\/a>, and Zhou (Beta Serpentis) in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/constellation-list\/serpens-constellation\/\">Serpens<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Alioth is listed as one of the 58 navigational stars, along with its Big Dipper neighbours <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/dubhe\/\">Dubhe<\/a>\u00a0(Alpha Ursae Majoris) and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alkaid\/\">Alkaid<\/a>\u00a0(Eta Ursae Majoris).\u00a0The stars selected for use in the field of celestial navigation are both bright and easy to identify because they either belong to a prominent asterism or are located near a recognizable pattern. Alioth is both bright enough to be visible even from light-polluted areas and easy to identify because it is a part of a familiar asterism, the Big Dipper.<\/p>\n<p>Alioth has the Greek letter designation Epsilon, not Alpha, even though it is\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/constellation-list\/ursa-major-constellation\/\">Ursa Major<\/a>\u2019s brightest star. When German uranographer Johann Bayer assigned Greek letter designations to stars in his star atlas\u00a0<em>Uranometria\u00a0<\/em>(1603), he mostly followed the magnitude class rule, assigning the letters Alpha and Beta to any first magnitude stars in a constellation.<\/p>\n<p>However, Bayer did not always assign the letters strictly in order of brightness. In Ursa Major, he named the stars from west to east. For this reason, Alioth is designated Epsilon Ursae Majoris even though it is the constellation\u2019s brightest star. The Alpha designation went to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/dubhe\/\">Dubhe<\/a>, the second brightest star in Ursa Major and the westernmost star of the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/big-dipper\/\">Big Dipper<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/merak\/\">Merak<\/a>, which got the designation Beta, is only the fifth brightest star in the constellation.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7794\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7794\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7794\" src=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Alioth-DSS.webp\" alt=\"alioth star,brightest star in ursa major\" width=\"700\" height=\"505\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Alioth-DSS.webp 700w, https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Alioth-DSS-300x216.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-7794\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alioth in Ursa Major. Image created using the Aladin Sky Atlas software from the Strasbourg Astronomical Data Center and DSS (Digitized Sky Survey) data. DSS is one of the programs of STScI (Space Telescope Science Institute). Credit: Roberto Mura (<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a>)<\/p><\/div>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Name\"><\/span>Name<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The name Alioth (pronunciation: \/\u02c8\u00e6li\u0252\u03b8\/) is derived from the Arabic\u00a0<em>alyat al-hamal<\/em>, meaning \u201cthe sheep\u2019s fat tail.\u201d Some sources suggest that it was corrupted from the Arabic <em>al-jaun<\/em>, meaning \u201cthe black horse (or bull),\u201d and that it shares the etymology with the name <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alcor\/\">Alcor<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The name Alioth was officially approved for Epsilon Ursae Majoris A by the International Astronomical Union\u2019s (IAU) Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) on June 30, 2016.<\/p>\n<p>The Chinese know the star as the Fifth Star of Northern Dipper (\u5317\u6597\u4e94), referring to the Chinese asterism Northern Dipper (\u5317\u6597), which corresponds to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/big-dipper\/\">Big Dipper<\/a>. The Chinese also call Alioth\u00a0<em>Y\u00f9 H\u00e9ng<\/em>\u00a0(\u7389\u8861), or the Star of Jade Sighting-Tube.<\/p>\n<p>The star\u2019s Hindu name is <em>A\u00f1giras (Angiras)<\/em>, after a Vedic sage mentioned by some sources as one of the Saptarishi (seven rishis or sages). <em>A\u00f1giras<\/em> was said to teach divine knowledge and mediate between gods and humans. He was considered to be the first of the fire gods, or Agni-devas.<\/p>\n<p>In the Arabic-speaking world, Alioth,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/mizar\/\">Mizar<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alkaid\/\">Alkaid<\/a>\u00a0(the stars of the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/constellation-list\/ursa-major-constellation\/\">Great Bear<\/a>\u2018s tail) represented mourners gathered around a bier formed by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/megrez\/\">Megrez<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/phecda\/\">Phecda<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/dubhe\/\">Dubhe<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/merak\/\">Merak<\/a>\u00a0(the stars of the Big Dipper\u2019s bowl).<\/p>\n<p>The constellation represented a funeral procession, with Alioth,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/mizar\/\">Mizar<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alkaid\/\">Alkaid<\/a>\u00a0representing the children of Al Na\u2019ash, who met his end at the hands of Al Jadi, represented by\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/polaris\/\">Polaris<\/a>. The slow motion of the Big Dipper stars around the north celestial pole represented the children of Al Na\u2019ash circling Al Jadi, wanting vengeance.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Location\"><\/span>Location<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Alioth is very easy to find because it is part of one of the best known\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/asterisms\/\">asterisms<\/a>\u00a0in the night sky. It is the third star of the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/big-dipper\/\">Big Dipper<\/a>\u2018s handle, appearing the closest to the bowl. It is noticeably brighter than most of its Big Dipper neighbours.<\/p>\n<p>The stars of the Big Dipper\u2019s handle can be used to find several bright deep sky objects. The famous <a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/pinwheel-galaxy-messier-101\/\">Pinwheel Galaxy<\/a>\u00a0(Messier 101) forms a triangle with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alkaid\/\">Alkaid<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/mizar\/\">Mizar<\/a>. The large face-on spiral galaxy has an apparent magnitude of 7.86 and can be seen in small and medium telescopes on a very clear night.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7791\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7791\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7791\" src=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Alioth-location.webp\" alt=\"how to find alioth,where is alioth in the sky,epsilon ursae majoris location\" width=\"700\" height=\"403\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Alioth-location.webp 700w, https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Alioth-location-300x173.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-7791\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The location of Alioth (Epsilon Ursae Majoris), image: Stellarium<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The bright <a href=\"https:\/\/www.messier-objects.com\/messier-51-whirlpool-galaxy\/\">Whirlpool Galaxy<\/a> (Messier 51) and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.messier-objects.com\/messier-63-sunflower-galaxy\/\">Sunflower Galaxy<\/a> (Messier 63) appear in the region between <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alkaid\/\">Alkaid<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/cor-caroli\/\">Cor Caroli<\/a>, the brightest star in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/constellation-list\/canes-venatici-constellation\/\">Canes Venatici<\/a>. The spiral galaxies <a href=\"https:\/\/www.messier-objects.com\/messier-106\/\">Messier 106<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.messier-objects.com\/messier-94-cats-eye-galaxy\/\">Cat\u2019s Eye Galaxy<\/a> (Messier 94) appear in the same area.<\/p>\n<p>The asterism <a href=\"https:\/\/www.messier-objects.com\/messier-40-winnecke-4\/\">Messier 40<\/a> (Winnecke 4) appears close to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/megrez\/\">Megrez<\/a>, one of the inner stars of the Big Dipper\u2019s bowl.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7792\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7792\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7792\" src=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Big-Dipper-handle-deep-sky-objects.webp\" alt=\"pinwheel galaxy location,sunflower galaxy location,whirlpool galaxy location\" width=\"700\" height=\"611\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Big-Dipper-handle-deep-sky-objects.webp 700w, https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Big-Dipper-handle-deep-sky-objects-300x262.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-7792\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Deep sky objects near the Big Dipper&#8217;s handle, image: Stellarium<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The stars of the Big Dipper\u2019s handle can be used to find two exceptionally bright stars, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/arcturus\/\">Arcturus<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/spica\/\">Spica<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/arcturus\/\">Arcturus<\/a>, Alpha Bo\u00f6tis, is the brightest northern star and the fourth brightest star in the sky, while\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/spica\/\">Spica<\/a>, Alpha Virginis, is the 16th brightest star and the luminary of the constellation\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/constellation-list\/virgo-constellation\/\">Virgo<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/arcturus\/\">Arcturus<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/spica\/\">Spica<\/a>\u00a0can be found by following the arc of the Dipper\u2019s handle away from the bowl.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/arcturus\/\">Arcturus<\/a>\u00a0is the first bright star that appears along this imaginary line and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/spica\/\">Spica<\/a>, the second. Arcturus lies in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/constellation-list\/bootes-constellation\/\">constellation Bo\u00f6tes<\/a> (the Herdsman) and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/spica\/\">Spica<\/a> in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/constellation-list\/virgo-constellation\/\">Virgo<\/a> (the Maiden).<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7793\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7793\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7793\" src=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Big-Dipper-Arcturus-Spica-and-Regulus.webp\" alt=\"how to find arcturus and spica using the big dipper\" width=\"700\" height=\"608\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Big-Dipper-Arcturus-Spica-and-Regulus.webp 700w, https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Big-Dipper-Arcturus-Spica-and-Regulus-300x261.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-7793\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Big Dipper, Arcturus, Spica and Regulus, image: Stellarium<\/p><\/div>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Constellation\"><\/span>Constellation<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Alioth is located in the constellation\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/constellation-list\/ursa-major-constellation\/\">Ursa Major<\/a>. It is one of the stars in the bear\u2019s tail, the closest one to its rear end.<\/p>\n<p>The Great Bear is one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/constellation-names\/greek-constellations\/\">ancient constellations<\/a> listed by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy of Alexandria in his <em>Almagest<\/em> in the 2nd century CE. In Greek mythology, it is associated with Callisto, a nymph turned into a bear by Zeus\u2019 jealous wife Hera.<\/p>\n<p>Ursa Major is the largest northern constellation and the third largest of all\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/constellation-list\/\">88 constellations<\/a>, after\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/constellation-list\/hydra-constellation\/\">Hydra<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/constellation-list\/virgo-constellation\/\">Virgo<\/a>. It stretches across 1,280 square degrees of the far northern sky. With seven of its bright stars forming the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/big-dipper\/\">Big Dipper<\/a>, it is one of the best-known <a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/constellation-map\/northern-constellations\/\">northern constellations<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_4407\" style=\"width: 560px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4407\" class=\"wp-image-4407 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Ursa-Major-constellation-map.webp\" alt=\"Ursa Major constellation,ursa major,ursa major stars,ursa major star map\" width=\"550\" height=\"461\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-4407\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ursa Major constellation map by IAU and Sky&amp;Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott &amp; Rick Fienberg) (<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/3.0\/https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/3.0\/\">CC BY 3.0<\/a>)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Notable stars in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/constellation-list\/ursa-major-constellation\/\">Ursa Major<\/a> include the orange giants <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/dubhe\/\">Dubhe<\/a> (Alpha Ursae Majoris) and Psi Ursae Majoris, the hot blue main sequence star <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alkaid\/\">Alkaid<\/a> (Eta Ursae Majoris), the red giant <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/tania-australis-mu-ursae-majoris\/\">Tania Australis<\/a> (Mu Ursae Majoris), the A-type main sequence stars <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/mizar\/\">Mizar<\/a> (Zeta Ursae Majoris), <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alcor\/\">Alcor<\/a> (80 Ursae Majoris), <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/merak\/\">Merak<\/a> (Beta Ursae Majoris), <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/phecda\/\">Phecda<\/a> (Gamma Ursae Majoris) and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/megrez\/\">Megrez<\/a> (Delta Ursae Majoris), and the yellow bright giant <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/muscida-omicron-ursae-majoris\/\">Muscida<\/a> (Omicron Ursae Majoris).<\/p>\n<p>The constellation also hosts Chalawan (47 Ursae Majoris), a Sun-like star with three orbiting planets, the orange dwarf HIP 57274, also with three extrasolar planets, and the contact binary star system W Ursae Majoris, a prototype for a class of variable stars known as the W Ursae Majoris variables.<\/p>\n<p>Ursa Major is also home to the red dwarf Lalande 21185, the fourth nearest star system to the Sun, after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alpha-centauri\/\">Alpha Centauri<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/barnards-star\/\">Barnard\u2019s Star<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/wolf-359\/\">Wolf 359<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/constellation-list\/ursa-major-constellation\/\">Great Bear constellation<\/a> contains many well-known deep sky objects. Famous galaxies within its borders include the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.messier-objects.com\/messier-101-pinwheel-galaxy\/\">Pinwheel Galaxy<\/a>\u00a0(M101),\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.messier-objects.com\/messier-81-bodes-galaxy\/\">Bode\u2019s Galaxy<\/a>\u00a0(M81), the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.messier-objects.com\/messier-82-cigar-galaxy\/\">Cigar Galaxy<\/a> (M82), <a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/mayalls-object\/\">Mayall&#8217;s Object<\/a>, and the barred spiral galaxies <a href=\"https:\/\/www.messier-objects.com\/messier-108-surfboard-galaxy\/\">Messier 108<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.messier-objects.com\/messier-109\/\">Messier 109<\/a>. The constellation also hosts the bright planetary nebula\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.messier-objects.com\/messier-97-owl-nebula\/\">Messier 97<\/a>, also known as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/owl-nebula-messier-97\/\">Owl Nebula<\/a>. These objects can be located using the bright stars of the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/big-dipper\/\">Big Dipper<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Ursa Major also contains the Guitar galaxies (NGC 3561), the Little Pinwheel Galaxy (NGC 3184), the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/cheshire-cat-galaxy-group\/\">Cheshire Cat<\/a> galaxy group, the Bow and Arrow Galaxy (NGC 3310), the interacting group of galaxies <a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/arp-194-ugc-6945\/\">Arp 194<\/a>, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/helix-galaxy-ngc-2685\/\">Helix Galaxy<\/a> (NGC 2685).<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/big-dipper\/\">Big Dipper stars<\/a>\u00a0are circumpolar from most locations in the northern hemisphere and can be seen throughout the year. The best time of the year to observe them is during the month of April, when Ursa Major is high above the horizon in the early evening. The entire constellation is visible from locations north of the latitude 30\u00b0 S.<\/p>\n<p>The 10 brightest stars in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/constellation-list\/ursa-major-constellation\/\">Ursa Major<\/a>\u00a0are Alioth (Epsilon UMa, mag. 1.77),\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/dubhe\/\">Dubhe<\/a>\u00a0(Alpha UMa, mag. 1.79),\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alkaid\/\">Alkaid<\/a>\u00a0(Eta UMa, mag. 1.86),\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/mizar\/\">Mizar<\/a>\u00a0(Zeta UMa, mag. 2.04),\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/merak\/\">Merak<\/a>\u00a0(Beta UMa, mag. 2.37), <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/phecda\/\">Phecda<\/a>\u00a0(Gamma UMa, 2.438), Psi Ursae Majoris (mag. 3.01), <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/tania-australis-mu-ursae-majoris\/\">Tania Australis<\/a> (Mu UMa, mag. 3.06), <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/talitha-iota-ursae-majoris\/\">Talitha<\/a>\u00a0(Iota UMa, mag. 3.14), and Theta Ursae Majoris (mag. 3.166).<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>Alioth \u2013 Epsilon Ursae Majoris<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"310\">Spectral class<\/td>\n<td width=\"310\">A1III-IVp kB9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"310\">Variable type<\/td>\n<td width=\"310\">Alpha<sup>2<\/sup> Canum Venaticorum (\u03b1<sup>2<\/sup> CVn)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"310\">U-B colour index<\/td>\n<td width=\"310\">+0.02<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"310\">B-V colour index<\/td>\n<td width=\"310\">-0.02<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"310\">Apparent magnitude<\/td>\n<td width=\"310\">1.77<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"310\">Absolute magnitude<\/td>\n<td width=\"310\">-0.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"310\">Distance<\/td>\n<td width=\"310\">82.6 \u00b1 0.4 light years (25.3 \u00b1 0.1 parsecs)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"310\">Parallax<\/td>\n<td width=\"310\">39.51 \u00b1 0.20 mas<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"310\">Radial velocity<\/td>\n<td width=\"310\">-12.70 \u00b1 0.2 km\/s<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"310\">Proper motion<\/td>\n<td width=\"310\">RA: +111.91 \u00b1 0.23 mas\/yr<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"310\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"310\">Dec.: -8.24 \u00b1 0.19 mas\/yr<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"310\">Mass<\/td>\n<td width=\"310\">2.91 M<sub>\u2609<\/sub><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"310\">Luminosity<\/td>\n<td width=\"310\">104.4 \u00b1 9.3 L<sub>\u2609<\/sub><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"310\">Radius<\/td>\n<td width=\"310\">4.29 R<sub>\u2609<\/sub> (4.08 \u2013 4.48 R<sub>\u2609<\/sub>)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"310\">Temperature<\/td>\n<td width=\"310\">8,908 \u00b1 24 K<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"310\">Age<\/td>\n<td width=\"310\">300 million years<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"310\">Surface gravity<\/td>\n<td width=\"310\">3.59 cgs<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"310\">Rotational velocity<\/td>\n<td width=\"310\">33 km\/s<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"310\">Rotation<\/td>\n<td width=\"310\">5.1 days<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"310\">Metallicity<\/td>\n<td width=\"310\">+0.00 dex<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"310\">Constellation<\/td>\n<td width=\"310\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.constellation-guide.com\/constellation-list\/ursa-major-constellation\/\">Ursa Major<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"310\">Right ascension<\/td>\n<td width=\"310\">12<sup>h<\/sup> 54<sup>m<\/sup> 01.9628322770<sup>s<\/sup><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"310\">Declination<\/td>\n<td width=\"310\">+55\u00b0 57&#8242; 35.225204126&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"310\">Designations<\/td>\n<td width=\"310\">Alioth, Epsilon Ursae Majoris, \u03b5 Ursae Majoris, \u03b5 UMa, 77 Ursae Majoris, HD 112185, HR 4905, HIP 62956, SAO 28553, FK5 483, BD+56\u00b01627, AG+56 909, AAVSO 1249+56, PPM 33769, PLX 2964.00, GC 17518, GCRV 7722, RAFGL 1584, CEL 4168, CNS5 3183, CSV 101344, GEN# +1.00112185, GSC 03845-01190, HGAM 620, Renson 32580, JP11 2330, UBV 11641, UBV M 18813, uvby98 100112185, IRC +60222, PMC 90-93 342, N30 2976, ROT 1909, SKY# 23986, WEB 11163, IRAS 12518+5613, 2MASS J12540170+5557349, TD1 16542, TIC 150387644, TYC 3845-1190-1, GCRV 7722, Gaia DR2 1576683529448755328, Gaia DR3 1576683529448755328, CCDM J12540+5558AB, WDS J12540+5558AB<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Alioth, Epsilon Ursae Majoris (\u03b5 UMa), is the brightest star in the constellation\u00a0Ursa Major (the Great Bear). It has an apparent magnitude of 1.77 and lies at a distance of 82.6 light years from Earth. It is the brightest of the seven stars that form the\u00a0Big Dipper, one of the best-known asterisms in the northern&hellip;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alioth\/\" class=\"\" rel=\"bookmark\">Read More &raquo;<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Alioth (Epsilon Ursae Majoris)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7789,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"off","neve_meta_content_width":70,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[332,331,1466,444,76,330],"tags":[130,276,129,122,124,346,279,327,347,278,168,281,285,275,335,334,337,147,333,339,338,341,280,301,345,343,128,146,340,126,342,344,172,336,193,274],"class_list":["post-162","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alpha-2-canum-venaticorum-variables","category-giant-stars","category-lucidae","category-navigational-stars","category-subgiant-stars","category-ursa-major-stars","tag-alioth","tag-alkaid","tag-alnair","tag-alnilam","tag-alnitak","tag-alpha-bootis","tag-alpha-coronae-borealis","tag-alpha-ursae-majoris","tag-alpha-virginis","tag-alphecca","tag-arcturus","tag-beta-aurigae","tag-beta-serpentis","tag-big-dipper","tag-collinder-285","tag-cor-caroli","tag-delta-aquarii","tag-dubhe","tag-epsilon-ursae-majoris","tag-eta-ursae-majoris","tag-gamma-leporis","tag-megrez","tag-menkalinan","tag-merak","tag-messier-101","tag-messier-106","tag-miaplacidus","tag-mirfak","tag-mizar","tag-orions-belt","tag-phecda","tag-pinwheel-galaxy","tag-polaris","tag-skat","tag-spica","tag-ursa-major-moving-group"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO 5.0.3 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Alioth (\u03b5 UMa) is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Major. It lies 82.6 light-years away and forms the Big Dipper with six other bright stars of the Great Bear\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"max-image-preview:large\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\"\/>\n\t<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alioth\/\" \/>\n\t\t<meta name=\"generator\" content=\"All in One SEO (AIOSEO) 5.0.3\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Star Facts \u2013 Stars: A guide to the night sky\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Alioth (Epsilon Ursae Majoris): Star Type, Name, Location, Constellation | Star Facts\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Alioth (\u03b5 UMa) is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Major. It lies 82.6 light-years away and forms the Big Dipper with six other bright stars of the Great Bear\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alioth\/\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-03-08T02:06:58+00:00\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-14T06:37:53+00:00\" \/>\n\t\t<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary\" \/>\n\t\t<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Alioth (Epsilon Ursae Majoris): Star Type, Name, Location, Constellation | Star Facts\" \/>\n\t\t<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Alioth (\u03b5 UMa) is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Major. It lies 82.6 light-years away and forms the Big Dipper with six other bright stars of the Great Bear\" \/>\n\t\t<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"aioseo-schema\">\n\t\t\t{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.star-facts.com\\\/alioth\\\/#article\",\"name\":\"Alioth (Epsilon Ursae Majoris): Star Type, Name, Location, Constellation | Star Facts\",\"headline\":\"Alioth (Epsilon Ursae Majoris)\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.star-facts.com\\\/author\\\/admin\\\/#author\"},\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.star-facts.com\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.star-facts.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/09\\\/Alioth-Epsilon-Ursae-Majoris-1.webp\",\"width\":700,\"height\":483,\"caption\":\"Alioth (Epsilon Ursae Majoris),  image credit: ESO\\\/Digitized Sky Survey 2 (CC BY 4.0)\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-03-08T02:06:58+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-14T06:37:53+00:00\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.star-facts.com\\\/alioth\\\/#webpage\"},\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.star-facts.com\\\/alioth\\\/#webpage\"},\"articleSection\":\"Alpha-2 Canum Venaticorum Variables, Giant Stars, Lucidae, Navigational Stars, Subgiant Stars, Ursa Major Stars, Alioth, Alkaid, Alnair, Alnilam, Alnitak, Alpha Bo\\u00f6tis, Alpha Coronae Borealis, Alpha Ursae Majoris, Alpha Virginis, Alphecca, Arcturus, Beta Aurigae, Beta Serpentis, Big Dipper, Collinder 285, Cor Caroli, Delta Aquarii, Dubhe, Epsilon Ursae Majoris, Eta Ursae Majoris, Gamma Leporis, Megrez, Menkalinan, Merak, Messier 101, Messier 106, Miaplacidus, Mirfak, Mizar, Orion's Belt, Phecda, Pinwheel Galaxy, Polaris, Skat, Spica, Ursa Major Moving Group\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.star-facts.com\\\/alioth\\\/#breadcrumblist\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.star-facts.com\\\/#listItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.star-facts.com\\\/\",\"nextItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.star-facts.com\\\/category\\\/subgiant-stars\\\/#listItem\",\"name\":\"Subgiant Stars\"}},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.star-facts.com\\\/category\\\/subgiant-stars\\\/#listItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Subgiant Stars\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.star-facts.com\\\/category\\\/subgiant-stars\\\/\",\"nextItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.star-facts.com\\\/alioth\\\/#listItem\",\"name\":\"Alioth (Epsilon Ursae Majoris)\"},\"previousItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.star-facts.com\\\/#listItem\",\"name\":\"Home\"}},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.star-facts.com\\\/alioth\\\/#listItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Alioth (Epsilon Ursae Majoris)\",\"previousItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.star-facts.com\\\/category\\\/subgiant-stars\\\/#listItem\",\"name\":\"Subgiant Stars\"}}]},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.star-facts.com\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Star Facts\",\"description\":\"Stars: A guide to the night sky\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.star-facts.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.star-facts.com\\\/author\\\/admin\\\/#author\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.star-facts.com\\\/author\\\/admin\\\/\",\"name\":\"admin\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.star-facts.com\\\/alioth\\\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.star-facts.com\\\/alioth\\\/\",\"name\":\"Alioth (Epsilon Ursae Majoris): Star Type, Name, Location, Constellation | Star Facts\",\"description\":\"Alioth (\\u03b5 UMa) is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Major. It lies 82.6 light-years away and forms the Big Dipper with six other bright stars of the Great Bear\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.star-facts.com\\\/#website\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.star-facts.com\\\/alioth\\\/#breadcrumblist\"},\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.star-facts.com\\\/author\\\/admin\\\/#author\"},\"creator\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.star-facts.com\\\/author\\\/admin\\\/#author\"},\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.star-facts.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/09\\\/Alioth-Epsilon-Ursae-Majoris-1.webp\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.star-facts.com\\\/alioth\\\/#mainImage\",\"width\":700,\"height\":483,\"caption\":\"Alioth (Epsilon Ursae Majoris),  image credit: ESO\\\/Digitized Sky Survey 2 (CC BY 4.0)\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.star-facts.com\\\/alioth\\\/#mainImage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-03-08T02:06:58+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-14T06:37:53+00:00\"},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.star-facts.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.star-facts.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Star Facts\",\"description\":\"Stars: A guide to the night sky\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.star-facts.com\\\/#organization\"}}]}\n\t\t<\/script>\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO -->\n\n","aioseo_head_json":{"title":"Alioth (Epsilon Ursae Majoris): Star Type, Name, Location, Constellation | Star Facts","description":"Alioth (\u03b5 UMa) is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Major. It lies 82.6 light-years away and forms the Big Dipper with six other bright stars of the Great Bear","canonical_url":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alioth\/","robots":"max-image-preview:large","keywords":"","webmasterTools":{"miscellaneous":""},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alioth\/#article","name":"Alioth (Epsilon Ursae Majoris): Star Type, Name, Location, Constellation | Star Facts","headline":"Alioth (Epsilon Ursae Majoris)","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/author\/admin\/#author"},"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Alioth-Epsilon-Ursae-Majoris-1.webp","width":700,"height":483,"caption":"Alioth (Epsilon Ursae Majoris),  image credit: ESO\/Digitized Sky Survey 2 (CC BY 4.0)"},"datePublished":"2025-03-08T02:06:58+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-14T06:37:53+00:00","inLanguage":"en-US","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alioth\/#webpage"},"isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alioth\/#webpage"},"articleSection":"Alpha-2 Canum Venaticorum Variables, Giant Stars, Lucidae, Navigational Stars, Subgiant Stars, Ursa Major Stars, Alioth, Alkaid, Alnair, Alnilam, Alnitak, Alpha Bo\u00f6tis, Alpha Coronae Borealis, Alpha Ursae Majoris, Alpha Virginis, Alphecca, Arcturus, Beta Aurigae, Beta Serpentis, Big Dipper, Collinder 285, Cor Caroli, Delta Aquarii, Dubhe, Epsilon Ursae Majoris, Eta Ursae Majoris, Gamma Leporis, Megrez, Menkalinan, Merak, Messier 101, Messier 106, Miaplacidus, Mirfak, Mizar, Orion's Belt, Phecda, Pinwheel Galaxy, Polaris, Skat, Spica, Ursa Major Moving Group"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alioth\/#breadcrumblist","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","@id":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/#listItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/","nextItem":{"@type":"ListItem","@id":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/category\/subgiant-stars\/#listItem","name":"Subgiant Stars"}},{"@type":"ListItem","@id":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/category\/subgiant-stars\/#listItem","position":2,"name":"Subgiant Stars","item":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/category\/subgiant-stars\/","nextItem":{"@type":"ListItem","@id":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alioth\/#listItem","name":"Alioth (Epsilon Ursae Majoris)"},"previousItem":{"@type":"ListItem","@id":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/#listItem","name":"Home"}},{"@type":"ListItem","@id":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alioth\/#listItem","position":3,"name":"Alioth (Epsilon Ursae Majoris)","previousItem":{"@type":"ListItem","@id":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/category\/subgiant-stars\/#listItem","name":"Subgiant Stars"}}]},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/#organization","name":"Star Facts","description":"Stars: A guide to the night sky","url":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/author\/admin\/#author","url":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/author\/admin\/","name":"admin"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alioth\/#webpage","url":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alioth\/","name":"Alioth (Epsilon Ursae Majoris): Star Type, Name, Location, Constellation | Star Facts","description":"Alioth (\u03b5 UMa) is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Major. It lies 82.6 light-years away and forms the Big Dipper with six other bright stars of the Great Bear","inLanguage":"en-US","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/#website"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alioth\/#breadcrumblist"},"author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/author\/admin\/#author"},"creator":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/author\/admin\/#author"},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Alioth-Epsilon-Ursae-Majoris-1.webp","@id":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alioth\/#mainImage","width":700,"height":483,"caption":"Alioth (Epsilon Ursae Majoris),  image credit: ESO\/Digitized Sky Survey 2 (CC BY 4.0)"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alioth\/#mainImage"},"datePublished":"2025-03-08T02:06:58+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-14T06:37:53+00:00"},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/","name":"Star Facts","description":"Stars: A guide to the night sky","inLanguage":"en-US","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/#organization"}}]},"og:locale":"en_US","og:site_name":"Star Facts \u2013 Stars: A guide to the night sky","og:type":"article","og:title":"Alioth (Epsilon Ursae Majoris): Star Type, Name, Location, Constellation | Star Facts","og:description":"Alioth (\u03b5 UMa) is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Major. It lies 82.6 light-years away and forms the Big Dipper with six other bright stars of the Great Bear","og:url":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alioth\/","article:published_time":"2025-03-08T02:06:58+00:00","article:modified_time":"2026-04-14T06:37:53+00:00","twitter:card":"summary","twitter:title":"Alioth (Epsilon Ursae Majoris): Star Type, Name, Location, Constellation | Star Facts","twitter:description":"Alioth (\u03b5 UMa) is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Major. It lies 82.6 light-years away and forms the Big Dipper with six other bright stars of the Great Bear"},"aioseo_meta_data":{"post_id":"162","title":"Alioth (Epsilon Ursae Majoris): Star Type, Name, Location, Constellation | #site_title","description":"Alioth (\u03b5 UMa) is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Major. It lies 82.6 light-years away and forms the Big Dipper with six other bright stars of the Great Bear","keywords":null,"keyphrases":{"focus":{"keyphrase":"","score":0,"analysis":{"keyphraseInTitle":{"score":0,"maxScore":9,"error":1}}},"additional":[]},"primary_term":null,"canonical_url":null,"og_title":null,"og_description":null,"og_object_type":"default","og_image_type":"default","og_image_url":null,"og_image_width":null,"og_image_height":null,"og_image_custom_url":null,"og_image_custom_fields":null,"og_video":"","og_custom_url":null,"og_article_section":null,"og_article_tags":null,"twitter_use_og":false,"twitter_card":"default","twitter_image_type":"default","twitter_image_url":null,"twitter_image_custom_url":null,"twitter_image_custom_fields":null,"twitter_title":null,"twitter_description":null,"schema":{"blockGraphs":[],"customGraphs":[],"default":{"data":{"Article":[],"Course":[],"Dataset":[],"FAQPage":[],"Movie":[],"Person":[],"Product":[],"ProductReview":[],"Car":[],"Recipe":[],"Service":[],"SoftwareApplication":[],"WebPage":[]},"graphName":"Article","isEnabled":true},"graphs":[]},"schema_type":"none","schema_type_options":"{\"article\":{\"articleType\":\"BlogPosting\"},\"course\":{\"name\":\"\",\"description\":\"\",\"provider\":\"\"},\"faq\":{\"pages\":[]},\"product\":{\"reviews\":[]},\"recipe\":{\"ingredients\":[],\"instructions\":[],\"keywords\":[]},\"software\":{\"reviews\":[],\"operatingSystems\":[]},\"webPage\":{\"webPageType\":\"WebPage\"},\"book\":[],\"event\":[],\"jobPosting\":[],\"music\":[],\"person\":[],\"restaurant\":[],\"service\":[],\"video\":[]}","pillar_content":false,"robots_default":true,"robots_noindex":false,"robots_noarchive":false,"robots_nosnippet":false,"robots_nofollow":false,"robots_noimageindex":false,"robots_noodp":false,"robots_notranslate":false,"robots_max_snippet":"-1","robots_max_videopreview":"-1","robots_max_imagepreview":"large","priority":null,"frequency":"default","local_seo":null,"breadcrumb_settings":null,"limit_modified_date":false,"ai":{"faqs":[],"keyPoints":[],"titles":[],"descriptions":[],"socialPosts":{"email":[],"linkedin":[],"twitter":[],"facebook":[],"instagram":[]}},"created":"2020-12-21 00:30:07","updated":"2026-04-14 07:04:08","seo_analyzer_scan_date":null,"focus_keyword":null,"additional_keywords":null,"truseo_locale":null},"aioseo_breadcrumb":"<div class=\"aioseo-breadcrumbs\"><span class=\"aioseo-breadcrumb\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/\" title=\"Home\">Home<\/a>\n\t\t<\/span><span class=\"aioseo-breadcrumb-separator\">\u00bb<\/span><span class=\"aioseo-breadcrumb\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/category\/subgiant-stars\/\" title=\"Subgiant Stars\">Subgiant Stars<\/a>\n\t\t<\/span><span class=\"aioseo-breadcrumb-separator\">\u00bb<\/span><span class=\"aioseo-breadcrumb\">\n\t\t\tAlioth (Epsilon Ursae Majoris)\n\t\t<\/span><\/div>","aioseo_breadcrumb_json":[{"label":"Home","link":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/"},{"label":"Subgiant Stars","link":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/category\/subgiant-stars\/"},{"label":"Alioth (Epsilon Ursae Majoris)","link":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/alioth\/"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/162","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=162"}],"version-history":[{"count":47,"href":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/162\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9642,"href":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/162\/revisions\/9642"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7789"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=162"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=162"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.star-facts.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=162"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}