Star profile

2 Aurigae

3D likeness based on its real data · class K · ~4,200 K

What is 2 Aurigae

2 Aurigae sits at the southern edge of Auriga, far from the dazzling Capella that anchors the constellation's pentagon. It is an orange giant 602 light-years away: an aged Sun, several times larger, gliding through the northern winter sky without demanding attention. Its glow is modest but steady —one of those stars a careful observer learns to recognise as a silent point of reference.

Where it is and when to see it

2 Aurigae lies in the northern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is December, when it culminates around midnight.

From London it culminates about 75° above the horizon.
From New York it culminates about 86° above the horizon.
From Sydney it culminates about 19° above the horizon.

It can be seen from anywhere north of 53° S.

It ranks no. 18 in brightness among the 76 stars of Auriga in our catalogue. To find it, start from Capella, the brightest: it lies about 10° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).

The light you see today left it about 600 years ago.

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Astronomical data for 2 Aurigae

Constellation: Auriga
Apparent magnitude: 4.79
Distance: 601.8 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 73.158° · Dec 36.703°
Catalogue: HIP 22678 · HD 30834

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Other stars in Auriga

Auriga has 76 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.

See all 76 stars in Auriga