Canopus: how to find it and when to see it
Canopus ranks 2nd of the 74 bright stars on our list, at magnitude -0.62, in the constellation Carina.
You can see it from anywhere south of 37° N, and it's highest in the evening sky in February.
Canopus at a glance
- Constellation
- Carina
- Magnitude
- -0.62
- Rank on our list
- 2 of 74
- Hemisphere
- Southern
- Right ascension
- 6 h 24 min
- Declination
- 52.7° south
- Visible from
- south of 37° N
- Never sets
- south of 37° S
- Best evening
- February 10
- Name from
- Greek
- Same constellation
- Miaplacidus, Avior, Aspidiske
Where Canopus is in the sky
Canopus sits 52.7° south of the celestial equator, the line in the sky directly above Earth's equator, so it's in the southern half of the sky. Its right ascension is 6 h 24 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 Canopus
From the northern hemisphere
From 40° N, the latitude of New York, Madrid and Beijing, Canopus never rises above the horizon. You need to be south of 37° N to see it.
From the southern hemisphere
From 34° S, the latitude of Sydney, Cape Town and Buenos Aires, Canopus rises a little east of due south, climbs to 71° above the horizon in the south and sets a little west of due south.
It's in the evening sky from October to May, and it's highest in the evening around February 10, in summer.
How high Canopus climbs from each latitude
The evening is about 9 pm local time, or 10 pm during daylight saving 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 | Never rises | Below the horizon | None |
| 50° N | Never rises | Below the horizon | None |
| 40° N | Never rises | Below the horizon | None |
| 30° N | Rises and sets | 7° in the south | None |
| 20° N | Rises and sets | 17° in the south | Jan to Mar |
| Equator | Rises and sets | 37° in the south | Dec to Apr |
| 20° S | Rises and sets | 57° in the south | Nov to May |
| 34° S | Rises and sets | 71° in the south | Oct to May |
| 45° S | Never sets | 82° in the south | Sep to Jul |
What the name Canopus means
Canopus is named after Canopus, the navigator of King Menelaus of Sparta in Greek legend.
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 Canopus was above the horizon that night, it's on your map, and we print it on museum-grade paper.
Questions about Canopus
Canopus is in Carina. It sits 52.7° south of the celestial equator, at a right ascension of 6 h 24 min.
Canopus is highest in the evening sky around February 10. That's winter in the northern hemisphere and summer in the southern hemisphere.
Yes, from anywhere south of 37° N. From 40° N, it never rises, so you need to be farther south.
Canopus has a magnitude of -0.62, which ranks it 2nd of the 74 bright stars on our list. Sirius looks about 2.1 times brighter.
Canopus is named after Canopus, the navigator of King Menelaus of Sparta in Greek legend.