Alpha Camelopardalis
Scientific overview
Alpha Camelopardalis is a blue supergiant in the constellation Camelopardalis (Camelopardalis).
Class O. Extremely hot, luminous blue stars. They are massive, short-lived, and rare, pouring out ultraviolet light. Such stars have surface temperatures around ≥ 30,000 K and appear blue to the eye.
Physical properties
| Spectral type | O9.5Ia SB: |
| Luminosity class | Ia |
| Apparent magnitude | 4.26 |
| Colour index (B−V) | -0.008 |
Values are real catalogue data; fields without a reliable value are omitted, never estimated.
Precision measurements
Astrometry and astrophysics from SIMBAD and Gaia DR3 · Gaia DR3 482818271843093376
| Parallax | 0.5916 ± 0.1333 mas | SIMBAD · measured |
| Distance | 1717.8 pc | Gaia · estimated |
| Proper motion (RA) | 0.222 mas/yr | SIMBAD · measured |
| Proper motion (Dec) | 7.198 mas/yr | SIMBAD · measured |
| Radial velocity | 10 ± 5 km/s | SIMBAD · measured |
| Spectral type | O9Ia | SIMBAD · catalogued |
| Effective temperature | 9998 K | Gaia · modeled |
| Radius | 61.3498 R_sun | Gaia · modeled |
| Surface gravity (log g) | 1.8901 log(cm/s^2) | Gaia · modeled |
| Metallicity [M/H] | -0.9277 dex | Gaia · modeled |
| Right ascension (ICRS) | 73.5125 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
| Declination (ICRS) | 66.3427 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
Full field-level provenance
- Parallax: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · plx_value · 2020yCat.1350....0G · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Distance: ESA Gaia astrometric survey · Gaia EDR3 · Bailer-Jones (2021) · external.gaiaedr3_distance · r_med_geo · row 482818271843093376 · Bayesian estimate · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Proper motion (RA): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · pmra · 2020yCat.1350....0G · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Proper motion (Dec): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · pmdec · 2020yCat.1350....0G · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Radial velocity: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · rvz_radvel · 2018A&A...613A..65H · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Spectral type: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · sp_type · 2011ApJS..193...24S · catalogue identifier/value · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Effective temperature: ESA Gaia astrometric survey · Gaia DR3 · gaiadr3.astrophysical_parameters · teff_gspphot · row 482818271843093376 · model output · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Radius: ESA Gaia astrometric survey · Gaia DR3 · gaiadr3.astrophysical_parameters · radius_gspphot · row 482818271843093376 · model output · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Surface gravity (log g): ESA Gaia astrometric survey · Gaia DR3 · gaiadr3.astrophysical_parameters · logg_gspphot · row 482818271843093376 · model output · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Metallicity [M/H]: ESA Gaia astrometric survey · Gaia DR3 · gaiadr3.astrophysical_parameters · mh_gspphot · row 482818271843093376 · model output · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Right ascension (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · ra · 2020yCat.1350....0G · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Declination (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · dec · 2020yCat.1350....0G · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
measured = direct catalogue value · estimated = Bayesian inference (Bailer-Jones distance) · modeled = model output (Gaia GSP-Phot). Fields a source did not provide are omitted, never invented.
Evolution
A blue supergiant is among the most luminous stars known — enormous, hot, and massive. Many end their lives as supernovae.
Location in the sky
Knowledge connections
- In constellationCamelopardalis
Related stars in Camelopardalis
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- HYG DatabaseHYG Database (Hipparcos + Yale Bright Star + Gliese), by D. Nash / astronexus
Aggregated, openly-licensed star catalogue combining Hipparcos, the Yale Bright Star Catalogue, and the Gliese Catalogue of Nearby Stars.
- HipparcosESA Hipparcos space astrometry mission
High-precision parallax, magnitude, and position for ~118,000 stars.