Alpheratz

HR 15 · HIP 677 · α And

👁️ Naked-eye

📋 A written introduction is coming — for now this page shows official values only.

Star

Apparent magnitude: 2.06 mag
Parallax: 33.62 mas → about 97 light-years away
Spectral type: B9p
Right ascension: 2.0969°
Declination: 29.0904°
Designation: HR 15
Bayer designation: α And
HIP number: 677
IAU name adopted: 2016-06-30
Name language: Arabic
Name origin (IAU): The specific origin of this name is unclear. It may represent a transfer from β Peg, where alferaz and other variants were applied in medieval times as abbreviations for β Peg's Arabic name mankib al-faras, "the Horse's Shoulder". Or, it may be from an abbreviation of the name alpheraz id est equus, "alpheraz, that is, the Horse", which was applied directly to α And also in medieval times. In any case, Medieval Latin authors confused these two names, their spellings, and their identifications, and the modern application of "Alpheratz" to α And comes down to us from late medieval times.

Constellation

Light from this object takes about 97 years to reach Earth — the light you see tonight left around AD 1929 (official distance ÷ speed of light).
At magnitude 2.1 it is bright enough for the naked eye (limit about 6) — look from somewhere dark.
Declination 29.1° — it rises above the horizon in Seoul (37.6° N), so it is visible from Korea in the right season.

Worked out from this object's official values.