When is the best time to observe Muscida?

Muscida is best observed from December through February, with peak visibility during January when it transits around midnight in the Northern Hemisphere.

Where is Muscida located in the sky?

Muscida lies in the constellation Ursa Major at right ascension 08h 30m and declination +60° 43′.

What telescope do I need to split Muscida?

Splitting Muscida requires an aperture of roughly 60 mm or larger — the components are separated by about 141.1″ at magnitudes near 3.4. The companion is about 7.6 magnitudes fainter, so glare from the primary — not separation — sets the minimum aperture. Larger apertures and steady seeing help resolve the pair cleanly.

Muscida — Double Star in Ursa Major

1 UMa

DoubleStar Ursa Major (UMa) Visible 1 Exoplanet

Star Map + List + Plan

About Muscida

Description

Muscida, 1 Ursae Majoris (also known as Omicron UMa), is a yellow giant of spectral type G5 III about 179 light-years away. It marks the nose of the Great Bear, at the western end of the constellation. The star hosts a confirmed exoplanet, Muscida b, a gas giant of about 4.1 Jupiter masses in a 1630-day orbit. Muscida's magnitude of 3.36 makes it an easy naked-eye object even from suburban skies.

Observing Tips

Muscida is easy to find: follow the "top" of the Bear's head westward from the Big Dipper's bowl, and Muscida is the first naked-eye star you reach. It appears distinctly yellow in binoculars. Circumpolar from mid-northern latitudes. Best observed in late winter and spring when Ursa Major rides high.

History

The name Muscida comes from the Latin word for "muzzle" or "snout," perfectly describing the star's position on the bear's nose. The exoplanet Muscida b was discovered in 2012 via radial velocity measurements and is one of the closer super-Jupiters to us in the planetary catalog.

Fun Facts

Muscida and its nearby fainter neighbors form a loose grouping that helps new skywatchers understand the full outline of the Great Bear — most of whose body extends well beyond the familiar seven Dipper stars. The planet Muscida b, at roughly 3.9 AU from the star, receives about half the flux that Earth gets from the Sun — despite orbiting a much more luminous giant.

Observe

1Physical Properties

Magnitude 3.36

Spectral Type G5III:

Star Color Orange (B-V 0.84)

Distance 179 ly

2Position & Identifiers

RA 08h 30m 15.9s

Dec +60° 43' 05.0"

Constellation Ursa Major (UMa)

HR 3323

HIP 41704

HD 71369

Flamsteed 1 UMa

Double Cat 6830

SIMBAD Wikipedia

3How easy to split?

Primary 3.4 mag Companion 11.0 mag Separation 141.1″

Telescope	Bortle 3	Bortle 4	Bortle 5
80 mm refractor 80mm refr.	Hard+	Hard	V. hard+
150 mm Newton 150mm Newt.	Medium+	Medium+	Medium
Celestron C8 (203 mm SCT) C8 203mm	Easy	Medium+	Medium+

Easy Medium Hard Very hard Impossible

Bortle 3 = rural · 4 = outer suburbs · 5 = suburbs

4Visibility

Set a location in User Settings to see visibility data.

Best season Dec – Feb (peak: Jan)

5Multiple Star System Quadruple

Components 4 (quadruple)

Component IDs AC

Separation 141.1″

Companion Mag 11.0

Position Angle 146°

Star Colors A: Orange

Discoverer BU 1067

Notes

B is 15v at 7", CPM. C and D optical.

Separation over time

Measured 1888 → 2007 (119 y)

Separation drift 143.7" → 141.1" (-2.60")

Rate -0.0218" / y

PA drift 152° → 146° (-6°, -0.050°/y)

Apparent motion is significant on a human timescale — worth revisiting in a decade.

Measured from the WDS observational archive. No orbital solution has been derived — most likely the period is too long to fit an orbit to the available measurement arc.