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Your Birth Star is:

Arcturus

Magnitude:

-0.1

Distance:

36.7 light years

Type:

Single

Red Star

How to find your birth star?

Arcturus is located in the constellation Boötes.

It is best viewed in the month of June and can be seen by those in the northern hemisphere and by many in the southern hemisphere above -50º latitude.

You can easily find Arcturus by following the arc from the Big Dipper. It will lead you to a bright red star and that is Arcturus!

You’ll see exactly why it was used by Polynesians to navigate the sea. It also helps that Arcturus, known by Polynesians as Hōkūleʻa, is the zenith star of the Hawaiian Islands.

Did you know?

Arcturus was featured in the 2016 movie, Passengers.

Want to get started in astronomy?

Our free telescope cheat sheet breaks down the key factors to choosing a telescope and shows you how to get stunning views of planets, nebula, and galaxies!

Get the cheat sheet

Frequently Asked Questions

Light year estimates are generally accurate but some of the estimates have a small margin of error. For example, they could be +/- .2 years off.

Astronomers can closely estimate how far away a star is by observing it from different points along Earth’s orbit (using the parallax angle.

We provided months that are best for viewing your birth star but you can often view your birth star outside of these months. Just be aware some constellations will disappear from the night sky for months.

The visibility of each star will depend on your latitude and in those cases where visibility in one hemisphere is limited we have supplied estimates for the latitude needed to see the star.

For the vast majority of birth stars, you can see them with your naked eye. But if you are thinking about getting a telescope, be sure to check out our free telescope cheat sheet!