What it looks like
Corona Borealis is a compact northern constellation whose brightest stars form an almost perfect semicircle — the crown of a queen. Its brightest star, Alphecca, sits at the base of the arc. The constellation is small but easy to identify between Boötes and Hercules on spring and summer evenings.
Brightest stars
Corona Borealis has one moderately bright star, Alphecca, and several fainter stars forming its crown shape.
| Star | Magnitude | Distance | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alphecca (α Coronae Borealis) | +2.23 | 75 ly | The Bright One of the Bowl |
| Nusakan (β Coronae Borealis) | +3.68 | 114 ly | — |
| Gamma Coronae Borealis | +3.84 | 146 ly | — |
| Theta Coronae Borealis | +4.14 | 375 ly | — |
Mythology and history
In Greek myth, Corona Borealis is the crown given by Dionysus to Ariadne, which was thrown into the sky as a wedding gift.
Ariadne's crown
Ariadne was the daughter of King Minos of Crete, who helped Theseus escape the labyrinth by giving him a ball of thread. Theseus abandoned her on the island of Naxos, where Dionysus found her and made her his wife. As a wedding gift, he gave her a crown made by Hephaestus, set with gems. After her death, Dionysus threw the crown into the sky, where its jewels became the stars of Corona Borealis. An earlier tradition links the crown to the one worn by the princess in the Theseus legend.
How to find it
Look for a small, distinct semicircle of stars just east of Arcturus and above Boötes on spring and summer evenings.
- Find Arcturus in Boötes, then look slightly east for the arc.
- The crown looks like a small 'U' or backwards 'C'.
- Best on spring and summer evenings from the northern hemisphere.
Key facts
- Abbreviation
- CrB
- Genitive
- Coronae Borealis
- Meaning
- The Northern Crown
- Brightest star
- Alphecca
- Main stars
- 6
- Area rank
- 73rd
- Best visible
- July
- Declination
- +30°
- Meteor showers
- —
- Neighbours
- Hercules, Boötes, Serpens Caput
Deep-sky objects
Corona Borealis contains few bright deep-sky objects. The Corona Borealis Cluster (Abell 2065) is a distant galaxy cluster, and the constellation is notable for the recurrent nova T Coronae Borealis, which erupts roughly every 80 years.
Frequently asked questions
What does the constellation Corona Borealis look like?
Corona Borealis is a small northern constellation known as the Northern Crown, a distinctive semicircle of stars tucked between Boötes and Hercules.
What is the brightest star in Corona Borealis?
The brightest star in Corona Borealis is Alphecca, shining at around magnitude 2.23.
When is Corona Borealis best visible?
Corona Borealis is best seen from both hemispheres during July.
What is the story behind Corona Borealis?
In Greek myth, Corona Borealis is the crown given by Dionysus to Ariadne, which was thrown into the sky as a wedding gift.
Which constellations are near Corona Borealis?
Corona Borealis borders Hercules, Boötes and Serpens Caput.
Boötes
Hercules