Constellation · Car
Carina
The Keel
Contains Canopus, the second-brightest star in the night sky, and the Carina Nebula with the unstable giant star Eta Carinae.
Magnitude -0.62
Highest in the sky at 9 pm local time (spring in the northern hemisphere)
Latitudes where every part of it rises above the horizon at some time of year
The whole sky covers about 41,253 square degrees
Stars brighter than about magnitude 6, the naked-eye limit under dark skies
Named stars in Carina
Brightest first. A lower magnitude means a brighter star.
- Canopus (Alpha Carinae)mag -0.62
- Miaplacidus (Beta Carinae)mag 1.67
- Avior (Epsilon Carinae)mag 1.86
- Aspidiske (Iota Carinae)mag 2.21
Can you see Carina from where you live?
This depends only on your latitude. Pick the row nearest to you; for your exact sky tonight, use the sky map.
| Latitude | Carina |
|---|---|
| 60°N | Never rises |
| 40°N | Never rises |
| 20°N | Only part of it ever clears the horizon |
| the equator | The whole constellation rises and sets |
| 20°S | The whole constellation rises and sets |
| 40°S | Visible all night, all year (it never sets) |
| 60°S | Visible all night, all year (it never sets) |
Questions about Carina
When is Carina best seen?
Carina stands highest in the sky at 9 pm local time in March. That makes spring evenings the best time for observers in the northern hemisphere; in the southern hemisphere the season is reversed.
What is the brightest star in Carina?
The brightest star in Carina is Canopus (Alpha Carinae), magnitude -0.62.
Where on Earth can you see Carina?
The whole of Carina can be seen from latitudes between about 90°S and 14°N. From 40°N: Never rises. From 35°S: The whole constellation rises and sets.
What does Carina mean?
Carina is Latin for "the Keel". A section of the ancient Argo Navis, split up by Lacaille in the 1750s.