Alsephina: how to find it and when to see it
Alsephina ranks 42nd of the 74 bright stars on our list, at magnitude 1.93, in the constellation Vela.
You can see it from anywhere south of 35° N, and it's highest in the evening sky in March.
Alsephina at a glance
Where Alsephina is in the sky
Alsephina sits 54.7° south of the celestial equator, the line in the sky directly above Earth's equator, so it's in the southern half of the sky. Its right ascension is 8 h 45 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 Alsephina
From the northern hemisphere
From 40° N, the latitude of New York, Madrid and Beijing, Alsephina never rises above the horizon. You need to be south of 35° N to see it.
From the southern hemisphere
From 34° S, the latitude of Sydney, Cape Town and Buenos Aires, Alsephina rises a little east of due south, climbs to 69° above the horizon in the south and sets a little west of due south.
It's in the evening sky from November to July, and it's highest in the evening around March 18, in fall.
How high Alsephina 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 rises | Below the horizon | None |
| 50° N | Never rises | Below the horizon | None |
| 40° N | Never rises | Below the horizon | None |
| 30° N | Rises and sets | 5° in the south | None |
| 20° N | Rises and sets | 15° in the south | Feb to Apr |
| Equator | Rises and sets | 35° in the south | Jan to May |
| 20° S | Rises and sets | 55° in the south | Dec to Jun |
| 34° S | Rises and sets | 69° in the south | Nov to Jul |
| 45° S | Never sets | 80° in the south | Oct to Aug |
What the name Alsephina means
Alsephina comes from the Arabic al-safīnah, the ship. The star was once part of Argo Navis, the great ship constellation.
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 Alsephina was above the horizon that night, it's on your map, and we print it on museum-grade paper.
Questions about Alsephina
Alsephina is in Vela. It sits 54.7° south of the celestial equator, at a right ascension of 8 h 45 min.
Alsephina is highest in the evening sky around March 18. That's spring in the northern hemisphere and fall in the southern hemisphere.
Yes, from anywhere south of 35° N. From 40° N, it never rises, so you need to be farther south.
Alsephina has a magnitude of 1.93, which ranks it 42nd of the 74 bright stars on our list. Sirius looks about 22 times brighter.
Alsephina comes from the Arabic al-safīnah, the ship. The star was once part of Argo Navis, the great ship constellation.