Adhara (Epsilon Canis Majoris) Star Facts

Adhara, also known as Epsilon Canis Majoris is a luminous giant star located in the constellation of Canis Major, The Big Dog. Adhara is a major star and forms part of the constellation. Adhara is the traditional/proper name for the star, whilst Epsilon Canis Majoris is the Bayer Designation for the star. A list of additional names and identifications is in the facts list at the bottom of the page.

Based on the spectral type (B2II), Adhara colour is blue, which means that the star is one of the hottest stars in the Universe, hotter than our star.

Adhara temperature is in the range of 10,000 to 30,000 Kelvin. Based on the spectral type (B2II) as we don't have the exact temperature', we can deduce that the surface temperature of Adhara is in the order of 10,000 and 25,000K based on the notes from Harvard University. To put this in context, the temperature of our Sun is about 5,778 Kelvin as said by Google.

Adhara is the 22nd brightest star in the night sky and the 2nd brightest star in Canis Major based on the Hipparcos 2007 apparent magnitude. Based on a parallax of 8.05, Adhara distance from Earth can be calculated at being 405.17 light years away or 132.10 parsecs.

Adhara is a naked-eye star, so you don't need a telescope or binoculars when you look up on a clear night. The lower the magnitude, the easier it will be to see it.

Location

The location of the Adhara in the night sky is determined by the right ascension (R.A.) and declination (Dec.). These are equivalent to the Longitude and Latitude on Earth. The Right Ascension (Longitude) is expressed in time (hh:mm:ss) and is how far the star is along Earth's celestial equator. If the R.A. is positive, then it's eastwards and vice versa.

The Declination (Latitude) is how far north or south the object is compared to the celestial equator and is expressed in degrees. If the value is positive, it is north of the celestial equator. For Adhara, the location is 06h 58m 37.55 and -28° 58` 19.5 .

Based on the location of Canis Major, Adhara can be located in the southern hemisphere of the celestial sky. The celestial hemisphere is equivalent to the hemispheres on Earth. Adhara is south of the Ecliptic. The Ecliptic is the path that the Earth takes as it orbits the Sun. As the Earth is titled, we therefore have Celestial and Ecliptic hemispheres and they can be different for a star.

Physical Properties

Adhara Luminosity

Luminosity is the amount of energy a star pumps out relative to the amount that our star, the Sun, gives out. Our star, the Sun's value is 1. Adhara luminosity figure of 16,783.91 is based on the value in the Simbad Hipparcos Extended Catalogue at the University of Strasbourg from 2012. The star generates more energy than our star.

Iron Abundance

Adhara Iron Abundance is -0.75 with an error value of 9.99 Fe/H, with the Sun having a value of 1 to put it into context. The value comes from the Hipparcos Extended Catalog.

Magnitude (Apparent / Absolute / Visible)

A number represents a star’s magnitude, whether apparent/visual or absolute. The smaller the number, the brighter the star is. The Sun is the brightest star and therefore has the lowest of all magnitudes, -26.74. A faint star will have a high number.

Adhara apparent magnitude is 1.5, which is a measure of the star's brightness as seen from Earth. Apparent Magnitude is also known as Visual Magnitude.

If you use the 1997 parallax value, Adhara' absolute magnitude is -4.10. If you use the 2007 parallax value, Adhara' absolute magnitude is -3.97. Absolute Magnitude is the star's apparent magnitude from 10 parsecs or 32.6 light years. The magnitude assumes nothing is between the object and the viewer, such as dust clouds. To compare different stars' actual brightness, you would best use Absolute rather than Apparent Magnitude.

Adhara is visible from Earth without needing binoculars or a telescope. The lower the Apparent Magnitude of a star or other object is, the easier it is to see in the night sky. An object with a magnitude greater than 6.5 cannot be seen without a telescope or other device.

Adhara Fact List

The table is scrollable if you can't see everything, just swipe the table to see the hidden information.

Key Facts

Primary Name:

Spectral Type:

Star Type:

Colour:

Galaxy:

Constellation:

Celestial Hemisphere:

Main Star

Visual / Apparent Magnitude

Visible From Earth

Absolute Magnitude

Radial Velocity

Iron Abundance (Fe/H)

Eccentricity:

Semi-Major Axis

Luminosity (Lsun)

Location/Coordinates

Right Ascension

Declination

Galactic Latitude

Galactic Longitude

Galacto-Centric Distance:

Distance from Earth

Parallax

Light Years

Parsecs

Astronomical Units (A.U.)

Proper Motion

Declination

Right Ascension

Miscellaneous Facts

B-V Index

Brightest in Night Sky

Alternate Names