Arabic star names / Caph
Caph
الكف الخضيب
Caph comes from the Arabic الكف الخضيب (al-Kaff al-Khaḍīb), which means “the henna-dyed hand”. It is the 75th-brightest star in the sky, in Cassiopeia.
- Brightness
- 2.28
- Colour
- yellow-white
- Constellation
- Cassiopeia
- Best seen
- November evenings
- Right ascension
- 0h 09m
- Declination
- +59° 09′
The name
Arabs saw in Cassiopeia's 'W' a hand with fingers painted with henna. This is one fingertip.
Where you can see it
It rises everywhere north of 31°S. From Riyadh it climbs to 56° above the horizon. From London it climbs to 82° above the horizon. Never rises over Sydney.
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