The 40th star in the Nautical Almanac is Beta Ursa Minoris or Kochab. Kochab is the second brightest star in the constellation of Ursa Minoris The Little Bear, also known as The Little Dipper. The name of this star is derived from Hebrew "Kochba" meaning "The Star."
Kochab was known simply as "The Star" in the earliest days of human civilization since it was the Pole Star until some 2000 years before the birth of Christ. The earliest astronomical temples of the Mesopotamians and the Egyptians are oriented not toward Polaris but toward Kochab. Precession has caused the Pole to wobble toward Polaris, but in some 22,000 years Kochab will be the Pole Star once again.
Together with the star Pherkad, Kochab is known as one of the Guardians of Polaris. Kochab is a Second Magnitude aging red star. At 2.95 billion years old it is far beyond its Main Sequence and is burning helium.
Kochab is located about 131 light years from Earth. It is twice the mass of our Sun, but about 45 times the radius, and 500 times the luminosity. It burns at about 7000 degrees Fahrenheit. It has at least one planet in orbit around it, a gas giant six times the size of Jupiter.
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