Your Guide to the Solar System and the Night Sky
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public Observing fromLocation: Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt
north SunriseRise: 6:47  
clear_day Transit: 12:50  
SunsetSet: 18:52 south
sunny DaytimeWhat's Visible Now
All Constellations » Auriga » 

σ Aurigae (sigma Aurigae)

Altitude: -1.1°   Azimuth: 359.9°   Direction: North

σ Aurigae is a multiple giant star in the constellation of Auriga.

σ Aurigae visual magnitude is 4.99. Because of its moderate brightness, σ Aurigae should be easily visible from locations with dark skyes, while it can be barely visible, or not visible at all, from skyes affected by light pollution.

The table below summarizes the key facts about σ Aurigae:

4.99
Giant

σ Aurigae (sigma Aurigae) is below the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt.

Altitude: -1.1°
Azimuth: 359.9°
Direction: North

Celestial coordinates and finder chart of σ Aurigae

σ Aurigae is situated north of the celestial equator, as such, it is more easily visible from the northern hemisphere. Celestial coordinates for the J2000 equinox as well as galactic coordinates of σ Aurigae are provided in the following table:

05h 24m 39s
+37° 23’ 08”
170.52°
0.88°
Auriga

The simplified sky map below shows the position of σ Aurigae in the sky:

Finder chart σ Aurigae (sigma Aurigae) star
Simplified finder chart for σ Aurigae (sigma Aurigae).

Visibility of σ Aurigae from your location

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

Today's σ Aurigae (sigma Aurigae) rise, transit and set times from Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt are the following (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):

Azimuth: 52.6°
Max altitude: 75.9°
Azimuth: 307.4°

Digitized Sky Survey image of σ Aurigae

The image below is a photograph of σ Aurigae from the Digitized Sky Survey 2 (DSS2 - see the credits section) taken in the red channel. The area of sky represented in the image is 0.5x0.5 degrees (30x30 arcmins). The proper motion of σ Aurigae is 0.001 arcsec per year in Right Ascension and -0.008 arcsec per year in Declination and the associated displacement for the next 100000 years is represented with the red arrow.

Image of σ Aurigae (sigma Aurigae) star
DSS2 image of σ Aurigae. The red arrow shows the motion of σ Aurigae during the next 100000 years (1.67 arcmin in Right Ascension and -13.33 arcmin in declination);

Distance of σ Aurigae from the Sun and relative movement

σ Aurigae is distant 513.39 light years from the Sun and it is moving towards the Sun at the speed of 19 kilometers per second.

157.48 pc
513.39 ly
-19 km/s
0.001 arcsec/year
-0.008 arcsec/year

Spectral properties of σ Aurigae

σ Aurigae belongs to spectral class K4 and has a luminosity class of III corresponding to a giant star.

-1.00
K4III
3918K

The red dot in the diagram below shows where σ Aurigae is situated in the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram.

HR Diagram
H-R diagram showing the position of σ Aurigae. Attribution: Richard Powell / CC BY-SA

σ Aurigae star system properties

σ Aurigae is a visual double star which can be observed only with the help of very large telescopes. The table below shows key information about the σ Aurigae double sysyem:

4.99
11.99
7
8.7 arcsec

Alternative designations of σ Aurigae

σ Aurigae
(sigma Aurigae)
SAO57981
SAO57981