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Mimosa, 2nd-brightest star in Crux, the Southern Cross
To see Mimosa, you need to be in the Southern Hemisphere, where it is a prominent star, or at the latitude of New Orleans, Hawaii, Cairo or New Delhi.
May 8, 2023
Polaris – the North Star – is part of the Little Dipper
Many people think Polaris is the brightest star, but it's only 48th in brightness. Still, Polaris is famous because the entire northern sky wheels around it.
May 7, 2023
Alpha Centauri, the star system closest to our sun
Our closest stellar neighbors are the 3 stars that are the Alpha Centauri system. They lie just over 4 light-years away (25 trillion miles or 38 trillion km).
April 16, 2023
Acrux is the brightest star in the Southern Cross
You have to go far south on Earth's globe to see the Southern Cross constellation. Bluish Acrux, aka Alpha Crucis, is its brightest star.
April 2, 2023
Capella is sometimes called the Goat Star
The 6th-brightest star in the night sky, Capella, in the Northern Hemisphere constellation Auriga the Charioteer, is also a point of the Winter Hexagon.
January 26, 2023
Schedar shines brightly at the Queen’s heart
Schedar is the brightest star in the distinctive W-shaped northern constellation Cassiopeia and is visible most of the year from northern latitudes.
December 4, 2022
Bellatrix is Orion’s 3rd-brightest star
Orion's shoulder star Bellatrix has a name that means "female warrior." Bellatrix is one of the hottest stars you can see without optical aid.
November 13, 2022
Mirach is guide star to 3 galaxies
Mirach in the constellation Andromeda helps stargazers locate the Andromeda Galaxy, the Triangulum Galaxy, and "Mirach's Ghost" (NGC 404).
November 11, 2022
Alpheratz belongs to Andromeda, but is part of the Great Square
Alpheratz, the brightest star in the constellation Andromeda, can guide you to the Andromeda Galaxy, the closest large spiral galaxy to our Milky Way galaxy.
October 7, 2022
Kochab and Pherkad: The Guardians of the Pole
Kochab and Pherkad are two stars in the Little Dipper that carry the nickname of the Guardians of the Pole. Here's how to find them and more.
August 31, 2022
