Star lore
Capella
Direct answer
Capella is Alpha Aurigae, a bright multiple-star system whose main visible light comes from two yellow giant stars.
Capella is Auriga's golden beacon and one of the northern sky's brightest stellar systems.
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At a glance
- Found in
- Constellations & Star Lore
- Related
- Proxima Centauri, Canopus, Procyon, Achernar
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The story behind Capella
Capella’s Latin name means little she-goat, reflecting the goat carried by the traditional Charioteer figure.
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Why Capella matters
Capella’s circumpolar or long-season visibility from many northern latitudes makes it a dependable orientation star.
How to read Capella
Find Capella north of Taurus and use it as the top of Auriga's broad winter pentagon.
Capella in practice: an example
Capella can flash many colors near the horizon because atmospheric turbulence disperses its bright light.
Where readings of Capella go wrong
The colorful flashes are atmospheric scintillation, not rapid changes in the stars themselves.
Sources and editorial method
Research references used for this entry include:
- IAU Division C Working Group on Star Names - Official IAU working group responsible for standardizing star names used in international astronomy.
- CDS SIMBAD Astronomical Database - Professional astronomical database for stellar identifiers, positions, classifications, and bibliography.
- Source
- The Great Almanac Dictionary
- Category
- Constellations & Star Lore
- Last updated
- 2026-09-26
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Common questions
What is Capella?
Capella is Alpha Aurigae, a bright multiple-star system whose main visible light comes from two yellow giant stars.
What does the name Capella mean?
Capella’s Latin name means little she-goat, reflecting the goat carried by the traditional Charioteer figure.
What do people get wrong about Capella?
The colorful flashes are atmospheric scintillation, not rapid changes in the stars themselves.
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