Canopus
Where is Canopus?
Below the horizon from London all the time in Carina.
- Rises
- Never
- Highest
- —
- Sets
- —
- Best after dark
- —
Can I see Canopus tonight?
Canopus never rises from London: it is too far south in the sky for this latitude.
This is position and timing only: clouds, haze and light pollution aren’t included.
What does Canopus look like?
Canopus looks white to the eye. Its spectral type is A9II: white bright giant (hotter than the Sun).
Eyes
A bright, white-yellow star. Seen low from mid-northern latitudes, it often twinkles and looks orange.
Binoculars
A bright point with a slight yellowish tint.
Telescope
A point of light. There is no close companion to look for.
About Canopus
Canopus is the second-brightest star in the night sky. It belongs to Carina, the Keel, part of the old constellation of the ship Argo.
It is a far more powerful star than Sirius. Canopus is a white bright giant about 310 light-years away, and it gives off thousands of times more light than the Sun. Its brightness and its position far from the bright band of the Milky Way have made it a reference star for spacecraft navigation.
Canopus lies far south in the sky. From southern latitudes it is a familiar sight, while from much of Europe, Canada and the northern United States it never rises at all.
Canopus has evolved past the main stage of its life and is now about 10,000 times more luminous than the Sun. From southern latitudes beyond about 37° S it never sets, circling the south celestial pole all night.
In many southern cultures, from Polynesian navigation to Aboriginal Australian and Indian traditions, Canopus has long been an important seasonal and navigational star.
Canopus in Carina
Questions
Can I see Canopus from the Northern Hemisphere?
Is Canopus brighter than Sirius?
Sources: SkyMate; Wikidata (CC0). Positions computed for your place and time with astronomy-engine. Data & Licences