The brightest star in the constellation Boötes, also called Epsilon Boötis; historically one of the brightest stars in the northern sky.
From Arabic al-qā'id meaning 'the leader' or 'the chief.' Medieval Islamic astronomers named this bright star as a leader among stars, and the name was preserved in European astronomical traditions.
Alkaid is proof that we're still using medieval Arab astronomer's naming system for stars—about a thousand years later, we're still calling stars by their Arabic names, making astronomy one of history's greatest multicultural collaborations!
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