Arabic star names / Kochab
Kochab
الكوكب
Kochab comes from the Arabic الكوكب (al-Kawkab), which means “the star”. It is the 58th-brightest star in the sky, in Ursa Minor.
- Brightness
- 2.07
- Colour
- orange
- Constellation
- Ursa Minor
- Best seen
- June evenings
- Right ascension
- 14h 51m
- Declination
- +74° 09′
The name
Simply 'the star', from Arabic kawkab. About 3,000 years ago it stood closer to the celestial pole than Polaris did.
Where you can see it
It rises everywhere north of 16°S. From Riyadh it climbs to 41° above the horizon. From London it climbs to 67° above the horizon. Never rises over Sydney.
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