Alphard

Alpard is also called as Alpha hydrae is a brightest star in the constellation of Hydra, the water snake. It lies at a distance of 177 light year from sun. 
Alphard is a orange giant or bright giant star larger than our Sun, yet is cooler and more luminous.
 

Alphard is located in the constellation Hydra. Hydra is the largest of all 88 constellations, occupying 1,303 square degrees of the southern sky. 

Alphard has the stellar classification K3 II-III, indicating a giant (III) or bright giant (II) appearing orange colour. The star has a mass 3.03 times that of the sun and has expanded to a size of 50.5 solar radii. With an effective temperature of 4,120 K, it is about 780 times more luminous than the Sun. It has a projected rotational velocity of 1.1 km/s and completes a rotation every 2,991 days. The star's estimated age is about 420 million years. 

Astronomers have measured the chemical composition of Alphard's surface layers. Among other things, they have found high level of barium.

•Alphard appears on the flag of Brazil, symbolising the state of Mato Grosso do Sul.

•The Toyota Alphard is a minivan named after this star.