What kind of star is Capella?
Capella, catalogued as Alpha Aurigae (α Aur), appears in the official constellation Auriga. Its apparent visual magnitude is 0.08, while its estimated distance is 42.9 light-years. Astronomers classify the object as G8 III + G0 III; two red-dwarf companions. These labels describe temperature, luminosity class or system components; they should not be read as a claim that every naked-eye point is a single isolated star.
The coordinate pair RA 05h 16m 41.36s, Dec +45° 59′ 52.8″ fixes the object’s direction on the celestial sphere for the J2000 reference epoch. Right ascension works like celestial longitude measured in hours, while declination works like latitude north or south of the celestial equator. Proper motion and improved measurements can refine catalogue positions, but these coordinates are sufficiently precise for a finder chart or planetarium search.
The name Capella
Latin for “little she-goat,” reflecting Auriga’s ancient depiction carrying the goat Amalthea.
Modern professional catalogues retain identifiers such as the Bayer designation alongside a proper name. The International Astronomical Union standardizes which name belongs to which component—an important distinction for systems whose combined light looks like one star from Earth.
How to find Capella
Find the conspicuous yellow-white star north of Orion and above Taurus during winter. It anchors Auriga’s pentagonal outline and remains visible throughout the year at high northern latitudes.
Best on northern winter evenings and circumpolar north of about 44° N. Visibility on a particular night still depends on latitude, season, time, horizon obstructions, weather and local light pollution. Use the interactive atlas below to check the surrounding field before observing.
Interesting facts about Capella
- Capella appears single to the eye but is a four-star system arranged as two binary pairs.
- The bright inner pair consists of two yellow giants orbiting in about 104 days.
- A distant pair of faint red dwarfs accompanies the giant pair.
- Capella is the brightest star in Auriga and among the brightest in the night sky.
- Its Sun-like yellow colour is deceptive: both bright components are much larger evolved giants.
Sources and further reading
Measurements are rounded for readability. Multiple systems, variable stars and distant supergiants can have component-specific or model-dependent values.