- Stars with a name
- Capella
Capella
α Aurigae
Capella is a red star, in the constellation Auriga. The light you see from it tonight left it around 1983.
Where to find it
From mid-northern latitudes, such as New York, Rome or Tokyo, it is best seen in the evening sky in January, February, March, April, October, November, and December.
Bright enough to see even from a city. Apparent magnitude 0.08.
What it’s like
It gives off 139 times as much light as the Sun.
Its surface is at about 5,300 degrees.
It is 42.8 light years away: 405 trillion kilometres.
It is the star of people born around 1983: the light that left it then is reaching Earth now.