Bellatrix: how to find it and when to see it
Bellatrix ranks 26th of the 74 bright stars on our list, at magnitude 1.64, in the constellation Orion.
You can see it from anywhere north of 84° S, and it's highest in the evening sky in January.
Bellatrix at a glance
- Constellation
- Orion
- Magnitude
- 1.64
- Rank on our list
- 26 of 74
- Hemisphere
- Northern
- Right ascension
- 5 h 25 min
- Declination
- 6.3° north
- Visible from
- north of 84° S
- Never sets
- north of 84° N
- Best evening
- January 26
- Name from
- Latin
Where Bellatrix is in the sky
Bellatrix sits 6.3° 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 25 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 Bellatrix
From the northern hemisphere
From 40° N, the latitude of New York, Madrid and Beijing, Bellatrix rises in the east, climbs to 56° above the horizon in the south and sets in the west.
It's in the evening sky from November to April, and it's highest in the evening around January 26, in winter.
From the southern hemisphere
From 34° S, the latitude of Sydney, Cape Town and Buenos Aires, Bellatrix rises in the east, climbs to 50° above the horizon in the north and sets in the west.
It's in the evening sky from November to March, and it's highest in the evening around January 26, in summer.
How high Bellatrix 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 | 36° in the south | Nov to Apr |
| 50° N | Rises and sets | 46° in the south | Nov to Apr |
| 40° N | Rises and sets | 56° in the south | Nov to Apr |
| 30° N | Rises and sets | 66° in the south | Nov to Apr |
| 20° N | Rises and sets | 76° in the south | Nov to Apr |
| Equator | Rises and sets | 84° in the north | Nov to Apr |
| 20° S | Rises and sets | 64° in the north | Nov to Mar |
| 34° S | Rises and sets | 50° in the north | Nov to Mar |
| 45° S | Rises and sets | 39° in the north | Dec to Mar |
What the name Bellatrix means
Bellatrix is Latin for female warrior. It marks Orion's left shoulder.
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 Bellatrix was above the horizon that night, it's on your map, and we print it on museum-grade paper.
Questions about Bellatrix
Bellatrix is in Orion. It sits 6.3° north of the celestial equator, at a right ascension of 5 h 25 min.
Bellatrix is highest in the evening sky around January 26. That's winter in the northern hemisphere and summer in the southern hemisphere.
Yes, from anywhere north of 84° S. From 34° S, it climbs to 50° above the horizon in the north.
Bellatrix has a magnitude of 1.64, which ranks it 26th of the 74 bright stars on our list. Sirius looks about 17 times brighter.
Bellatrix is Latin for female warrior. It marks Orion's left shoulder.