Elnath: how to find it and when to see it
Elnath ranks 27th of the 74 bright stars on our list, at magnitude 1.65, in the constellation Taurus.
You can see it from anywhere north of 61° S, and it's highest in the evening sky in January.
Elnath at a glance
Where Elnath is in the sky
Elnath sits 28.6° 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 5 h 26 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 Elnath
From the northern hemisphere
From 40° N, the latitude of New York, Madrid and Beijing, Elnath rises in the north-east, climbs to 79° above the horizon in the south and sets in the north-west.
It's in the evening sky from November to April, and it's highest in the evening around 27 January, in winter.
From the southern hemisphere
From 34° S, the latitude of Sydney, Cape Town and Buenos Aires, Elnath rises in the north-east, climbs to 27° above the horizon in the north and sets in the north-west.
It's in the evening sky from December to March, and it's highest in the evening around 27 January, in summer.
How high Elnath 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 | 59° in the south | Oct to May |
| 50° N | Rises and sets | 69° in the south | Oct to May |
| 40° N | Rises and sets | 79° in the south | Nov to Apr |
| 30° N | Rises and sets | 89° in the south | Nov to Apr |
| 20° N | Rises and sets | 81° in the north | Nov to Apr |
| Equator | Rises and sets | 61° in the north | Nov to Apr |
| 20° S | Rises and sets | 41° in the north | Dec to Mar |
| 34° S | Rises and sets | 27° in the north | Dec to Mar |
| 45° S | Rises and sets | 16° in the north | Jan to Feb |
What the name Elnath means
Elnath comes from the Arabic al-naṭḥ, the butting one. It marks the tip of one of the bull's horns.
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 Elnath was above the horizon that night, it's on your map, and we print it on museum-grade paper.
Questions about Elnath
Elnath is in Taurus. It sits 28.6° north of the celestial equator, at a right ascension of 5 h 26 min.
Elnath is highest in the evening sky around 27 January. That's winter in the northern hemisphere and summer in the southern hemisphere.
Yes, from anywhere north of 61° S. From 34° S, it climbs to 27° above the horizon in the north.
Elnath has a magnitude of 1.65, which ranks it 27th of the 74 bright stars on our list. Sirius looks about 17 times brighter.
Elnath comes from the Arabic al-naṭḥ, the butting one. It marks the tip of one of the bull's horns.