Capella — Star in Auriga

Capella is the sixth brightest star in the sky and the brightest in Auriga. It is actually a spectroscopic binary system of two yellow giant stars (G8III + G0III) orbiting each other every 104 days, located about 43 light-years from Earth. The combined luminosity of the pair is roughly 80 times that of the Sun. A second, fainter pair of red dwarfs orbits the bright pair at a great distance, making Capella a quadruple star system.

A brilliant golden-yellow star easily found high in the northern sky during winter evenings. It is circumpolar from most of Europe and northern North America, never setting below the horizon. At magnitude 0.08, it is unmistakable — look for the bright pentagon of Auriga with Capella as its most luminous vertex. Best in the evening sky from November through April. The close binary nature is not resolvable in any telescope.

The name Capella comes from Latin meaning 'little she-goat,' associated with the mythological goat Amalthea that suckled the infant Zeus. The ancient Romans called it 'the Goat Star.' Capella's binary nature was discovered spectroscopically in 1899 by William Campbell, and the orbital elements were refined over the following decades. The star has been important in many cultures — the Bedouins called it 'the Driver,' and in Hindu astronomy it was associated with the heart of Brahma.