Arabic star names / Alhena

Alhena

الهنعة

Alhena comes from the Arabic الهنعة (al-Hanʿa), which means “the brand mark”. It is the 44th-brightest star in the sky, in Gemini.

Brightness

1.93

Colour

white

Constellation

Gemini

Best seen

February evenings

Right ascension

6h 38m

Declination

+16° 24′

The name

A camel brand. In the Arabic lunar mansions al-Hanʿa was one of the 28 stations of the Moon.

Where you can see it

It rises everywhere north of 74°S. From Riyadh it climbs to 82° above the horizon. From London it climbs to 55° above the horizon. From Sydney it climbs to 40° above the horizon.