Mirfak: how to find it and when to see it
Mirfak ranks 33rd of the 74 bright stars on our list, at magnitude 1.79, in the constellation Perseus.
You can see it from anywhere north of 40° S, and it's highest in the evening sky in December.
Mirfak at a glance
Where Mirfak is in the sky
Mirfak sits 49.9° 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 3 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 Mirfak
From the northern hemisphere
From 40° N, the latitude of New York, Madrid and Beijing, Mirfak rises a little east of due north, climbs to 80° above the horizon in the north and sets a little west of due north.
It's in the evening sky from September to April, and it's highest in the evening around December 27, in winter.
From the southern hemisphere
From 34° S, the latitude of Sydney, Cape Town and Buenos Aires, Mirfak rises in the north-east, climbs to 6° above the horizon in the north and sets in the north-west.
It never climbs more than 6° above the horizon, so you need a clear, low view to the north to spot it.
How high Mirfak 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 | Never sets | 80° in the south | All year |
| 50° N | Never sets | Overhead | All year |
| 40° N | Rises and sets | 80° in the north | Sep to Apr |
| 30° N | Rises and sets | 70° in the north | Sep to Apr |
| 20° N | Rises and sets | 60° in the north | Oct to Mar |
| Equator | Rises and sets | 40° in the north | Oct to Feb |
| 20° S | Rises and sets | 20° in the north | Nov to Jan |
| 34° S | Rises and sets | 6° in the north | None |
| 45° S | Never rises | Below the horizon | None |
What the name Mirfak means
Mirfak comes from the Arabic mirfaq, elbow.
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 Mirfak was above the horizon that night, it's on your map, and we print it on museum-grade paper.
Questions about Mirfak
Mirfak is in Perseus. It sits 49.9° north of the celestial equator, at a right ascension of 3 h 24 min.
Mirfak is highest in the evening sky around December 27. That's winter in the northern hemisphere and summer in the southern hemisphere.
Yes, from anywhere north of 40° S. From 34° S, it climbs to 6° above the horizon in the north.
Mirfak has a magnitude of 1.79, which ranks it 33rd of the 74 bright stars on our list. Sirius looks about 20 times brighter.
Mirfak comes from the Arabic mirfaq, elbow.