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public Observing fromLocation: Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt
SunriseRise: 6:04  
clear_day Transit: 12:06  
SunsetSet: 18:09
wb_twilight Astronomical TwilightWhat's Visible Now?
All Constellations » 

Auriga (The Charioteer) Constellation

Altitude: 4.6°   Azimuth: 338.6°   Direction: North-North-West

Auriga (pronounced ɔːˈraɪɡə) is the Latin name of a large constellation (in fact it extends itself for about 36 degrees across the sky) situated north of the celestial equator. As such, it is more easily visible from the northern hemisphere.

In English language this constellation is also known as "The Charioteer" while in astronomical texts and literature this constellation is often abbreviated as "Aur" (according to the standard of the International Astronomical Union - IAU) or as "Auri" (according to a naming convention used by NASA).

The Latin genitive of the constellation name is "Aurigae" (pronounced ɔːˈraɪdʒiː) and it is used to identify some of the brightest stars in this constellation based on the Bayer or Flamsteed star naming convention. For instance: α Aurigae (the brightest star of Auriga based on the Bayer catalog); or 23 Aurigae (the 23th star in the constellation of Auriga based on the Flamsteed catalog).

Auriga is above the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt. Altitude: 5°.
Available Resources for Auriga

Sky Chart of Auriga Constellation

Here we provide a simplified sky chart of the Auriga constellation. Alternatively it is possible to locate Auriga in the night sky using our Online Interactive Planetarium.

Chart of  constellation
This constellation image is derivatve work based on original work by IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg) CC-BY-3.0.

Visibility of Auriga Constellation

Location: Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt
Latitude: 51° 28’ 47” N
Longitude: 0° 00’ 00” E
Timezone: Europe/London

Auriga is circumpolar and transits at 18:03 UTC (altitude: 78.3°)

The rise and set times provided here are just directional indications and they refer to a point approximately placed at the center of the constellation. In case of very large constellations (like Auriga actually is) these times can have little relevance.

Bright Stars in Auriga Constellation

The table below lists the top 20 brightest stars in the Auriga constellation. See also the complete list of 159 stars brighter than magnitude 6.5 (approximate) in the constellation of Auriga. Click on each star to see more details about it.

HR Number(*) Star designation Proper name Visual magnitude Color Notes
HR1708 α Aurigae Capella 0.08 Variable; Multiple;
HR2088 β Aurigae Menkalinan 1.9 Variable; Multiple;
HR2095 θ Aurigae Mahasim 2.62 Variable; Multiple;
HR1577 ι Aurigae Hassaleh 2.69 Variable;
HR1605 ε Aurigae Almaaz 2.99 Variable; Multiple;
HR1641 η Aurigae Haedus 3.17 Variable;
HR2077 δ Aurigae 3.72 Multiple;
HR1612 ζ Aurigae Saclateni 3.75 Variable;
HR2012 ν Aurigae 3.97 Double;
HR2091 π Aurigae 4.26 Variable;
HR2219 κ Aurigae 4.35 Variable;
HR1995 τ Aurigae 4.52 Multiple;
HR1726 16 Aurigae 4.54 Variable; Double;
HR1729 λ Aurigae 4.71 Multiple;
HR2011 υ Aurigae 4.74 Variable;
HR1843 χ Aurigae 4.76
HR1551 2 Aurigae 4.78
HR2427 ψ2 Aurigae 4.79 Multiple;
HR1689 μ Aurigae 4.86
HR2696 63 Aurigae 4.9
...go to the complete list of 159 bright stars in the constellation of Auriga

(*) HR stands for Harvard Revised Bright Star Catalogue, which is also known as the Yale Catalogue of Bright Stars.

Deep Sky Objects in Auriga Constellation

The table below lists the 20 brightest deep sky objects in the Auriga constellation. See also the complete list of 37 deep sky objects in the constellation of Auriga. The list includes objects from the Messier, New General Catalogue (NGC) and Index Catalogue (IC).

Name Type Magnitude
NGC 2281 Open Cluster 5.4 (V)
Messier 37 Open Cluster 5.6 (V)
Messier 36 Open Cluster 6 (V)
Messier 38 Open Cluster 6.4 (V)
NGC 1857 Open Cluster 7 (V)
NGC 1893 Open Cluster 7.5 (V)
NGC 1664 Open Cluster 7.6 (V)
NGC 1778 Open Cluster 7.7 (V)
NGC 1907 Open Cluster 8.2 (V)
IC 405 (Flaming Star Nebula) Nebula 10 (B)
NGC 1931 Star Cluster + Nebula 10.1 (V)
IC 2149 Planetary Nebula 10.78 (V)
NGC 2192 Open Cluster 10.9 (V)
NGC 1883 Open Cluster 12 (V)
NGC 2208 Galaxy 12.61 (V)
NGC 1985 Reflection Nebula 12.7 (B)
NGC 2242 Planetary Nebula 15 (V)
NGC 2387 Galaxy 16.5 (V)
IC 436 Galaxy N/A
...go to the complete list of 37 deep sky objects in the constellation of Auriga