Arabic star names / Alphard

Alphard

الفرد

Alphard comes from the Arabic الفرد (al-Fard), which means “the solitary one”. It is the 49th-brightest star in the sky, in Hydra.

Brightness

1.99

Colour

orange

Constellation

Hydra

Best seen

March evenings

Right ascension

9h 28m

Declination

−8° 40′

The name

The only bright star in a large, dim patch of sky in Hydra, so it shines alone.

Where you can see it

It rises everywhere south of 81°N. From Riyadh it climbs to 57° above the horizon. From London it climbs to 30° above the horizon. From Sydney it climbs to 65° above the horizon.