Naos: how to find it and when to see it
Naos ranks 63rd of the 74 bright stars on our list, at magnitude 2.21, in the constellation Puppis.
You can see it from anywhere south of 50° N, and it's highest in the evening sky in March.
Naos at a glance
- Constellation
- Puppis
- Magnitude
- 2.21
- Rank on our list
- 63 of 74
- Hemisphere
- Southern
- Right ascension
- 8 h 4 min
- Declination
- 40.0° south
- Visible from
- south of 50° N
- Never sets
- south of 50° S
- Best evening
- March 8
- Name from
- Greek
Where Naos is in the sky
Naos sits 40.0° 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 4 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 Naos
From the northern hemisphere
From 40° N, the latitude of New York, Madrid and Beijing, Naos rises in the southeast, climbs to 10° above the horizon in the south and sets in the southwest.
It never climbs more than 10° above the horizon, so you need a clear, low view to the south to spot it.
From the southern hemisphere
From 34° S, the latitude of Sydney, Cape Town and Buenos Aires, Naos rises in the southeast, climbs to 84° above the horizon in the south and sets in the southwest.
It's in the evening sky from December to June, and it's highest in the evening around March 8, in fall.
How high Naos 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 | Rises and sets | 10° in the south | None |
| 30° N | Rises and sets | 20° in the south | Feb to Apr |
| 20° N | Rises and sets | 30° in the south | Jan to Apr |
| Equator | Rises and sets | 50° in the south | Jan to May |
| 20° S | Rises and sets | 70° in the south | Dec to May |
| 34° S | Rises and sets | 84° in the south | Dec to Jun |
| 45° S | Rises and sets | 85° in the north | Nov to Jun |
What the name Naos means
Naos comes from the Greek naus, ship. It was 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 Naos was above the horizon that night, it's on your map, and we print it on museum-grade paper.
Questions about Naos
Naos is in Puppis. It sits 40.0° south of the celestial equator, at a right ascension of 8 h 4 min.
Naos is highest in the evening sky around March 8. That's spring in the northern hemisphere and fall in the southern hemisphere.
Yes, from anywhere south of 50° N. From 40° N, it climbs to 10° above the horizon in the south.
Naos has a magnitude of 2.21, which ranks it 63rd of the 74 bright stars on our list. Sirius looks about 29 times brighter.
Naos comes from the Greek naus, ship. It was part of Argo Navis, the great ship constellation.