Alhena: how to find it and when to see it
Alhena ranks 42nd of the 74 bright stars on our list, at magnitude 1.93, in the constellation Gemini.
You can see it from anywhere north of 74° S, and it's highest in the evening sky in February.
Alhena at a glance
- Constellation
- Gemini
- Magnitude
- 1.93
- Rank on our list
- 42 of 74
- Hemisphere
- Northern
- Right ascension
- 6 h 38 min
- Declination
- 16.4° north
- Visible from
- north of 74° S
- Never sets
- north of 74° N
- Best evening
- 14 February
- Name from
- Arabic
Where Alhena is in the sky
Alhena sits 16.4° north of the celestial equator, the line in the sky directly above Earth's equator, so it's in the northern half of the sky. Its right ascension is 6 h 38 min.
Right ascension works like longitude on the sky. It's counted in hours, and about one hour of it turns past you each hour of the night.
When and where to see Alhena
From the northern hemisphere
From 40° N, the latitude of New York, Madrid and Beijing, Alhena rises in the east, climbs to 66° above the horizon in the south and sets in the west.
It's in the evening sky from November to May, and it's highest in the evening around 14 February, in winter.
From the southern hemisphere
From 34° S, the latitude of Sydney, Cape Town and Buenos Aires, Alhena rises in the east, climbs to 40° above the horizon in the north and sets in the west.
It's in the evening sky from December to April, and it's highest in the evening around 14 February, in summer.
How high Alhena climbs from each latitude
The evening is about 9 pm local time, or 10 pm in summer time, and later when the sky is still too bright. A star counts as in the evening sky when it's at least 10° above the horizon.
| Latitude | Visibility | Highest point | Evening sky |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60° N | Rises and sets | 46° in the south | Nov to May |
| 50° N | Rises and sets | 56° in the south | Nov to May |
| 40° N | Rises and sets | 66° in the south | Nov to May |
| 30° N | Rises and sets | 76° in the south | Dec to Apr |
| 20° N | Rises and sets | 86° in the south | Dec to Apr |
| Equator | Rises and sets | 74° in the north | Dec to Apr |
| 20° S | Rises and sets | 54° in the north | Dec to Apr |
| 34° S | Rises and sets | 40° in the north | Dec to Apr |
| 45° S | Rises and sets | 29° in the north | Jan to Mar |
What the name Alhena means
Alhena comes from the Arabic al-hanʿah, a brand, the mark burned on a camel's neck.
Keep the sky of a night that matters
Our star maps show the stars above any place, at the minute you choose, with the constellation lines drawn in. If Alhena was above the horizon that night, it's on your map, and we print it on museum-grade paper.
Questions about Alhena
Alhena is in Gemini. It sits 16.4° north of the celestial equator, at a right ascension of 6 h 38 min.
Alhena is highest in the evening sky around 14 February. That's winter in the northern hemisphere and summer in the southern hemisphere.
Yes, from anywhere north of 74° S. From 34° S, it climbs to 40° above the horizon in the north.
Alhena has a magnitude of 1.93, which ranks it 42nd of the 74 bright stars on our list. Sirius looks about 22 times brighter.
Alhena comes from the Arabic al-hanʿah, a brand, the mark burned on a camel's neck.