Alphard is the "heart" and brightest star in the constellation Hydra the Water Snake, and it represents a welcome sign of spring for the Northern Hemisphere.
Sirius is the brightest star as seen from Earth and is visible from both hemispheres. It lies just 8.6 light-years away, in the constellation Canis Major.
The galactic anticenter is opposite the Milky Way's center from our viewpoint on Earth. The closest bright star to the anticenter is Taurus the Bull's Elnath.