Star profile
Almaaz
Epsilon Aurigae · Auriga
Variable starWhat is Almaaz
Almaaz is one of the most enigmatic stars known —a yellowish variable in Auriga, 2,132 light-years away, that fades for almost two full years every twenty-seven. Astronomers took more than a century to understand that a dark disc of dust, perhaps with a companion embedded inside, drifts between us and its light. When this beam set out, Rome was falling and the Middle Ages were beginning in Europe.
Where it is and when to see it
Almaaz 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 never sets and culminates about 82° up.
- From New York it culminates about 87° above the horizon.
- From Sydney it culminates about 12° above the horizon.
It can be seen from anywhere north of 46° S.
It ranks no. 6 in brightness among the 76 stars of Auriga in our catalogue. To find it, start from Capella, the brightest: it lies about 3° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).
The light you see today left it about 2,100 years ago.
It opens in your browser. Free, no account, nothing to install.
Leave your signature on Almaaz
Your name and a message go up on the map for everyone to read. Signing is free.
Without a lock, someone else can replace your signature. How the lock works
We'll ask for an email to confirm it's you, no password.
A public signature from a real person. The chosen name is a symbolic denomination within Stelvia, with no official standing or IAU recognition: the sky is not for sale and belongs to no one.
Astronomical data for Almaaz
- Constellation
- Auriga
- Apparent magnitude
- 3.03
- Distance
- 2132.0 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 75.492° · Dec 43.823°
- Catalogue
- HIP 23416 · HD 31964
A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.
Other stars in Auriga
Auriga has 76 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- CapellaAlpha Aurigae0.08
- HYG 1183600.96
- MenkalinanBeta Aurigae1.90
- MahasimTheta Aurigae2.65
- HassalehIota Aurigae2.69
- HaedusEta Aurigae3.18
- SaclateniZeta Aurigae3.69
- Delta Aurigae3.72