Star profile

Aludra

Eta Canis Majoris · Canis Major

Variable star

3D likeness based on its real data · class B · ~15,000 K

What is Aludra

Aludra is the tail of Canis Major, a blue variable supergiant whose light takes nearly two thousand years to reach us. What we see tonight set out when the Roman Colosseum still hosted games and the Empire stood at its greatest extent. The name comes from the Arabic «al-ʿadhrāʾ», 'the maiden', underscoring distance as the only way to touch the untouchable: a vast sun reduced to a trembling point on the winter horizon.

Where it is and when to see it

Aludra lies in the southern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is January, when it culminates around midnight.

From London it culminates about 9° above the horizon.
From New York it culminates about 20° above the horizon.
From Sydney it culminates about 85° above the horizon.

It can be seen from anywhere south of 61° N.

It ranks no. 5 in brightness among the 90 stars of Canis Major in our catalogue. To find it, start from Sirius, the brightest: it lies about 15° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).

The light you see today left it about 2,000 years ago.

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Astronomical data for Aludra

Constellation: Canis Major
Apparent magnitude: 2.45
Distance: 1989.0 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 111.024° · Dec -29.303°
Catalogue: HIP 35904 · HD 58350

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Other stars in Canis Major

Canis Major has 90 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.

See all 90 stars in Canis Major