There are currently 12 stars in the catalog of the International Astronomical Union whose names begin with the letter k.
The most prominent ones are Kang, Khambalia, and the three Kaus stars which are part of the zodiac constellations Virgo and Sagittarius.
The following table lists them all. Here’s the nomenclature for the columns to the right:
Name: The proper or colloquial name for the star.
Constellation: The group of stars the star belongs to.
Bayern Designation: The ordered name for the star in the Bayern catalog of stars.
Designation: The ‘scientific’ name for the star in the IAU catalog. This is the name astronomers generally use.
Approval Date: The date the proper name was officially approved for the IAU catalog. Most names have been used for a much longer time though.
| Name | Constellation | Bayern Designation | Designation | Approval Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaffaljidhma | Cetus | γ Ceti A | HR 804 | 2017-02-01 |
| Kang | Virgo | κ Virginis | HR 5315 | 2017-06-30 |
| Kaus Australis | Sagittarius | ε Sagittarii A | HR 6879 | 2016-07-20 |
| Kaus Borealis | Sagittarius | λ Sagittarii | HR 6913 | 2016-07-20 |
| Kaus Media | Sagittarius | δ Sagittarii | HR 6859 | 2016-07-20 |
| Keid | Eridanus | ο2 Eridani A | HR 1325 | 2016-09-12 |
| Khambalia | Virgo | λ Virginis A | HR 5359 | 2017-09-05 |
| Kitalpha | Equuleus | α Equulei A | HR 8131 | 2016-08-21 |
| Kochab | Ursa Minor | β Ursae Minoris | HR 5563 | 2016-07-20 |
| Kornephoros | Hercules | β Herculis Aa | HR 6148 | 2016-08-21 |
| Kraz | Corvus | β Corvi | HR 4786 | 2018-06-01 |
| Kurhah | Cepheus | ξ Cephei Aa | HR 8417 | 2016-09-12 |
This list does not include some of the proposed star names that are proposed every year, but still haven’t been fully approved and made official.
Find more star names that start with the letter: