The traditional name Alkaid derives from the Arabic القايد القائد Al-Qa'id, which means 'the leader of the daughters of the bier [container with lid, usually made of wood, in which a corpse is deposited to be buried or incinerated]' or 'the first of the mourners [a woman who was paid to attend the funeral and cry for the deceased]'. In China she was known as 'Běidǒuqī '北斗 七 - 'the Seventh Star of the Dipper of the North' or 'Yáoguāng '瑤光 - the Star of Sparkling Radiance'.
Alkaid is a blue-white main sequence dwarf star of spectral type B3 V, with a surface temperature of 16823 K. It has a rotation speed of 150 km/s.
Photometric observations were carried out in the year 1989.
Position in relation to the ecliptic:
- Longitude: 177.2º (27º13' Virgo; opposition 180º, 2º47' orb)
- Latitude: 54.4º (24º23' Taurus; (tri)vigintile 54º [=biquintile 144º > 0º Capricorn], 0º23' orb).
Position in relation to the celestial equator:
- Right ascension: 206.9º (26º53' 7th House)
- Declination: 49.3º (19º19' 2nd House)
The star Alkaid reminds the quality of the planets Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn. The symbolic image 'the leader of the daughters of the bier' or 'the first of the mourners' refers to an outstanding capacity or great experience in brining out the qualities and positive aspects of a person's life.
Alkaid is related with an amazing capacity to elaborate biographies, write police reports or newspaper articles, in which it is explained in great detail, how and why, the different relevant aspects are related to each other.
Rachel McAdams, actress of the movies "State of Play" (2009) and "Spotlight" (2015), has Alkaid in Virgo (12th Moon-Node House) in conjunction with the North Node, and in square with the Crossing Axis of Age Progressions (Signs Horoscope).
