Fomalhaut: how to find it and when to see it
Fomalhaut ranks 18th of the 74 bright stars on our list, at magnitude 1.17, in the constellation Piscis Austrinus.
You can see it from anywhere south of 61° N, and it's highest in the evening sky in October.
Fomalhaut at a glance
- Constellation
- Piscis Austrinus
- Magnitude
- 1.17
- Rank on our list
- 18 of 74
- Hemisphere
- Southern
- Right ascension
- 22 h 58 min
- Declination
- 29.6° south
- Visible from
- south of 61° N
- Never sets
- south of 61° S
- Best evening
- October 20
- Name from
- Arabic
Where Fomalhaut is in the sky
Fomalhaut sits 29.6° 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 22 h 58 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 Fomalhaut
From the northern hemisphere
From 40° N, the latitude of New York, Madrid and Beijing, Fomalhaut rises in the southeast, climbs to 21° above the horizon in the south and sets in the southwest.
It's in the evening sky from September to November, and it's highest in the evening around October 20, in fall.
From the southern hemisphere
From 34° S, the latitude of Sydney, Cape Town and Buenos Aires, Fomalhaut rises in the southeast, climbs to 85° above the horizon in the north and sets in the southwest.
It's in the evening sky from July to January, and it's highest in the evening around October 20, in spring.
How high Fomalhaut 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 | 1° in the south | None |
| 50° N | Rises and sets | 11° in the south | Oct |
| 40° N | Rises and sets | 21° in the south | Sep to Nov |
| 30° N | Rises and sets | 31° in the south | Sep to Dec |
| 20° N | Rises and sets | 41° in the south | Sep to Dec |
| Equator | Rises and sets | 61° in the south | Aug to Dec |
| 20° S | Rises and sets | 81° in the south | Aug to Jan |
| 34° S | Rises and sets | 85° in the north | Jul to Jan |
| 45° S | Rises and sets | 74° in the north | Jul to Jan |
What the name Fomalhaut means
Fomalhaut comes from the Arabic fam al-ḥūt, the mouth of the fish. It sits at the mouth of Piscis Austrinus, the Southern Fish.
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 Fomalhaut was above the horizon that night, it's on your map, and we print it on museum-grade paper.
Questions about Fomalhaut
Fomalhaut is in Piscis Austrinus. It sits 29.6° south of the celestial equator, at a right ascension of 22 h 58 min.
Fomalhaut is highest in the evening sky around October 20. That's fall in the northern hemisphere and spring in the southern hemisphere.
Yes, from anywhere south of 61° N. From 40° N, it climbs to 21° above the horizon in the south.
Fomalhaut has a magnitude of 1.17, which ranks it 18th of the 74 bright stars on our list. Sirius looks about 11 times brighter.
Fomalhaut comes from the Arabic fam al-ḥūt, the mouth of the fish. It sits at the mouth of Piscis Austrinus, the Southern Fish.