Eta Ursae Minoris is also known as Anwar al Farkadain, a name that historically belonged to Kochab or Beta Ursae Minoris before being transferred to this star. It is relatively similar to the Sun, though rather hotter and more massive, and its greater mass contributes to a significantly greater rate of rotation. Anwar al Farkadain turns on its axis more than forty times faster than the Sun, completing a rotation in approximately 1.4 days.
The brightstar to the north and west (right) of Anwar al Farkadain in this image is blue19 Ursae Minoris. Though this star is approximately six times farther from the Sun than Anwar al Farkadain, it is much more intrinsically luminous, and so the two stars have similar apparent magnitudes as seen from Earth. Imagery provided by Aladin sky atlas
The location of Anwar al Farkadain or Eta Ursae Minoris, the faintest of the four stars that make up the 'bowl' of the Little Dipper, otherwise known as Ursa Minor.
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