Star profile

Delta Aurigae

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

What is Delta Aurigae

Delta Aurigae is an orange giant some 126 light-years away, set in the corner of the Charioteer where mapmakers once traced the border with the Lynx. At magnitude 3.72 it stands out among the secondary lights of Auriga's pentagon, presided over by distant Capella, without ever rivalling her. Its proper motion drags it slowly across the Galactic background, a quiet reminder that the «fixed» sky is never entirely fixed.

Where it is and when to see it

Delta 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 never sets and culminates about 87° up.
From New York it never sets and culminates about 76° up.
From Sydney it culminates about 2° above the horizon.

It can be seen from anywhere north of 36° S.

It ranks no. 9 in brightness among the 76 stars of Auriga in our catalogue. To find it, start from Capella, the brightest: it lies about 11° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).

The light you see today left it about 130 years ago.

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Astronomical data for Delta Aurigae

Constellation: Auriga
Apparent magnitude: 3.72
Distance: 126.0 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 89.882° · Dec 54.285°
Catalogue: HIP 28358 · HD 40035

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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