Alphecca: how to find it and when to see it
Alphecca ranks 65th of the 74 bright stars on our list, at magnitude 2.22, in the constellation Corona Borealis.
You can see it from anywhere north of 63° S, and it's highest in the evening sky in June.
Alphecca at a glance
- Constellation
- Corona Borealis
- Magnitude
- 2.22
- Rank on our list
- 65 of 74
- Hemisphere
- Northern
- Right ascension
- 15 h 35 min
- Declination
- 26.7° north
- Visible from
- north of 63° S
- Never sets
- north of 63° N
- Best evening
- June 30
- Name from
- Arabic
Where Alphecca is in the sky
Alphecca sits 26.7° 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 15 h 35 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 Alphecca
From the northern hemisphere
From 40° N, the latitude of New York, Madrid and Beijing, Alphecca rises in the northeast, climbs to 77° above the horizon in the south and sets in the northwest.
It's in the evening sky from April to September, and it's highest in the evening around June 30, in summer.
From the southern hemisphere
From 34° S, the latitude of Sydney, Cape Town and Buenos Aires, Alphecca rises in the northeast, climbs to 29° above the horizon in the north and sets in the northwest.
It's in the evening sky from May to August, and it's highest in the evening around June 30, in winter.
How high Alphecca 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 | Rises and sets | 57° in the south | Mar to Oct |
| 50° N | Rises and sets | 67° in the south | Mar to Oct |
| 40° N | Rises and sets | 77° in the south | Apr to Sep |
| 30° N | Rises and sets | 87° in the south | Apr to Sep |
| 20° N | Rises and sets | 83° in the north | Apr to Sep |
| Equator | Rises and sets | 63° in the north | Apr to Sep |
| 20° S | Rises and sets | 43° in the north | May to Aug |
| 34° S | Rises and sets | 29° in the north | May to Aug |
| 45° S | Rises and sets | 18° in the north | Jun to Jul |
What the name Alphecca means
Alphecca comes from the Arabic nayyir al-fakkah, the bright one of the broken ring, the ring of stars of Corona Borealis.
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 Alphecca was above the horizon that night, it's on your map, and we print it on museum-grade paper.
Questions about Alphecca
Alphecca is in Corona Borealis. It sits 26.7° north of the celestial equator, at a right ascension of 15 h 35 min.
Alphecca is highest in the evening sky around June 30. That's summer in the northern hemisphere and winter in the southern hemisphere.
Yes, from anywhere north of 63° S. From 34° S, it climbs to 29° above the horizon in the north.
Alphecca has a magnitude of 2.22, which ranks it 65th of the 74 bright stars on our list. Sirius looks about 29 times brighter.
Alphecca comes from the Arabic nayyir al-fakkah, the bright one of the broken ring, the ring of stars of Corona Borealis.