Capella - α Aurigae (alpha Aurigae)
Capella, also designated as α Aurigae (alpha Aurigae), is a variable and multiple giant star in the constellation of Auriga.
Capella visual magnitude is 0.08, making it the 6th brightest star in the sky. Thanks to its high brightness, Capella is clearly visible when observed from locations with dark skies, and should be also quite easily visible from light polluted areas.
The proper motion of Capella is 0.076 arcsec per year in Right Ascension and -0.425 arcsec per year in Declination and the associated displacement for the next 1000 years is represented with the red arrow.
Key facts about Capella
Capella - α Aurigae (alpha Aurigae) is above the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom.
Altitude: 23.0°
Azimuth: 43.8°
Direction: North-East
Celestial coordinates and finder chart of Capella
Capella is situated north of the celestial equator, as such, it is more easily visible from the northern hemisphere. Celestial coordinates for the J2000 equinox as well as galactic coordinates of Capella are provided in the following table:
The simplified sky map below shows the position of Capella in the sky:
Visibility of Capella from your location
Location: Greenwich, United Kingdom
Latitude: 51° 28’ 47” N
Longitude: 0° 00’ 00” E
Timezone: Europe/London
Capella - α Aurigae (alpha Aurigae) is circumpolar and transits at 13:45 UTC (altitude: 84.5°)
Distance of Capella from the Sun and relative movement
Capella is distant 42.18 light years from the Sun and it is moving far from the Sun at the speed of 30 kilometers per second.
Spectral properties of Capella
Capella belongs to spectral class G5 and has a luminosity class of III corresponding to a giant star.
The red dot in the diagram below shows where Capella is situated in the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram.
Capella star system properties
Capella is a visual double star which can be observed only with the help of very large telescopes. The table below shows key information about the Capella double sysyem: