Canopus

Canopus (α Carinae) is a yellow-white bright giant star in the constellation Carina. With an apparent magnitude of −0.72 it is the 2nd-brightest star in the night sky, and it is about 310 light-years from Earth.

Finder chart showing where Canopus is in the constellation Carina
Canopus (circled) in Carina, with the surrounding constellations and bright stars.
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Free to use with credit: Atlas of the Sky (constellationmap.org), CC BY 4.0 · More

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Facts

ConstellationCarina
Designationα Carinae (Alpha Carinae), HR 2326
Apparent magnitude−0.72 (2nd brightest)
Spectral typeF0II
Coloryellow-white (B−V 0.15)
Distanceabout 310 light-years
Right ascension6 h 24.0 min
Declination−52.70°
Best monthFebruary (at about 9 pm)

Sources: star positions, magnitudes and colors from the Yale Bright Star Catalogue; constellation boundaries and star names from the IAU; areas and distances from Wikidata; stick figures by M. van der Sluys. How the maps are made.

How to find Canopus

Canopus is in Carina. It never rises from 40° N. From 35° S it reaches about 72° in the south. Nearby bright stars: Avior (18° away), Alsephina (21° away) and Naos (21° away).

Carina constellation →

Other named stars in Carina

MiaplacidusAviorAspidiske

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