In August evenings we look at center our Milky Way galaxy. And in January and February we do the opposite. We are looking across from the center of the galaxy, towards galactic anticenter and the nearest outer edge of the galaxy. The star Elnath (aka Beta Tauri and sometimes called Alnath) in the constellation Taurus the Bull is the closest bright star in the dome of our sky to the galactic anticenter.
How to find the 2nd brightest star Taurus
In fact, Elnath is easy to find if you learn to recognize the Face of the Bull in the constellation Taurus. The face of the bull in Taurus is V-shaped. And the V-shape can be picked out fairly easily from the stars in the background. These stars are members of the Hyades cluster. In mid-January, you can find a V shape almost overhead about three hours after sunset. This V shape includes the brightest star in Taurus, red Aldebaran.
If you extend the right side of the V (the side opposite Aldebaran) you will reach the star Elnath. Elnath represents the northern horn of the bull Taurus. It is the second brightest star in Taurus after Aldebaran, which represents the Bull’s Bloodshot Eye.
So Elnath is not as smart as Aldebaran. But it is also part of a striking pattern and has a blue and white color.
Use Orion to find Tauro and Elnath
What if you can’t find the Face of the Bull? Try first to find Orion the Hunter, an extremely prominent constellation. You can recognize Orion by its Belt, a short straight row of three moderately bright stars.
Next, draw a line up through Orion’s belt to find Aldebaran and the V-shaped group of stars that outline the face of the Bull. Then draw lines from the top of the V to find the two stars marking the tips of the bull’s horns. And the northern and brighter corner star is Elnath.
When and where to look for Elnath
In the Northern Hemisphere, we see Taurus and its stars on winter evenings. Elnath faces the sun around mid-December, so it rises around sunset and sets around sunrise. In January and February, Elnath is already up in the southeast at sunset. By June, Elnath will be lost in the glare of the sun and will not be seen at all. However, except for June, you can see Elnath at least part of the night throughout the year.
Elnath stands just north of the ecliptic, the annual path of the sun in front of the background stars. Because the Moon’s path is always close to the ecliptic, the Moon swings close to Elnath each month. Generally, the Moon swings south of Elnath. Sometimes the Moon swings far enough north than it is occultism – passes directly in front of – Elnath. We are currently in the midst of a series of occultations that will last until April 11, 2027.
How to find the anticenter of the Milky Way
The galactic anticenter lies about 3 degrees east of the star Elnath. Three degrees is about the amount of sky covered by your thumb when held at arm’s length. The galactic anticenter is not a place, it’s just a direction in the sky from our perspective on Earth. Elnath is about 130 light-years away, while the edges of our galaxy’s disk are thousands of light-years away. So Elnath is much closer and just points the way.
While the nearest bright star to the galactic anticenter is Elnath in Taurus, the anticenter is not located in Taurus. Instead, it lies in the neighboring constellation Auriga the Chariot.
Science of the star Elnath
Elnath shimmers white and is tinted blue. The color of this star indicates that its surface temperature is about 13,600 Kelvin (13,300 Celsius or 24,000 Fahrenheit). Compare this to the surface temperature of our yellow-colored sun, which is 5,800 Kelvin (5,500 C or 10,000 F).
Elnath is about 4 times the mass of the Sun and shines with the firepower of 700 suns.
Elnath’s position is RA: 5h 26m 17.5s, Dec: +28° 36′ 27″
Bottom Line: The Galactic Anticenter is the position opposite the center of the Milky Way from our perspective on Earth. If you want to look toward the anticenter, look toward Elnath. This star is the 2nd brightest star in the constellation Taurus the Bull and is only 3 degrees from the galactic anticenter, which lies nearby in the constellation Auriga.
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