Eltanin: how to find it and when to see it
Eltanin ranks 69th of the 74 bright stars on our list, at magnitude 2.24, in the constellation Draco.
You can see it from anywhere north of 39° S, and it's highest in the evening sky in August.
Eltanin at a glance
- Constellation
- Draco
- Magnitude
- 2.24
- Rank on our list
- 69 of 74
- Hemisphere
- Northern
- Right ascension
- 17 h 57 min
- Declination
- 51.5° north
- Visible from
- north of 39° S
- Never sets
- north of 39° N
- Best evening
- August 5
- Name from
- Arabic
Where Eltanin is in the sky
Eltanin sits 51.5° 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 17 h 57 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 Eltanin
From the northern hemisphere
From 40° N, the latitude of New York, Madrid and Beijing, Eltanin never sets: it circles the pole all night and climbs to 79° above the horizon in the north.
It's in the evening sky from April to December, and it's highest in the evening around August 5, in summer.
From the southern hemisphere
From 34° S, the latitude of Sydney, Cape Town and Buenos Aires, Eltanin rises a little east of due north, climbs to 5° above the horizon in the north and sets a little west of due north.
It never climbs more than 5° above the horizon, so you need a clear, low view to the north to spot it.
How high Eltanin 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 sets | 81° in the south | All year |
| 50° N | Never sets | 89° in the north | All year |
| 40° N | Never sets | 79° in the north | Apr to Dec |
| 30° N | Rises and sets | 69° in the north | Apr to Nov |
| 20° N | Rises and sets | 59° in the north | May to Oct |
| Equator | Rises and sets | 39° in the north | Jun to Oct |
| 20° S | Rises and sets | 19° in the north | Jul to Sep |
| 34° S | Rises and sets | 5° in the north | None |
| 45° S | Never rises | Below the horizon | None |
What the name Eltanin means
Eltanin comes from the Arabic al-tinnīn, the great serpent. It marks the head of Draco, the Dragon.
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 Eltanin was above the horizon that night, it's on your map, and we print it on museum-grade paper.
Questions about Eltanin
Eltanin is in Draco. It sits 51.5° north of the celestial equator, at a right ascension of 17 h 57 min.
Eltanin is highest in the evening sky around August 5. That's summer in the northern hemisphere and winter in the southern hemisphere.
Yes, from anywhere north of 39° S. From 34° S, it climbs to 5° above the horizon in the north.
Eltanin has a magnitude of 2.24, which ranks it 69th of the 74 bright stars on our list. Sirius looks about 30 times brighter.
Eltanin comes from the Arabic al-tinnīn, the great serpent. It marks the head of Draco, the Dragon.