Find it in the sky
The ram’s head: three stars in a short bent line, Hamal, Sheratan and Mesarthim. Between Pisces and Taurus, on December evenings.
Zodiac
Aries
Aries: the spring equinox point bears its name, now in Pisces.
Best in December, around 9 p.m.No. 39 of the 88 constellations by areaBrightest star Hamal (magnitude 2.00)7 stars in this guide
The drawings on these maps are the game’s, and don’t show exact positions in the sky.
Legend
In the Greek tale it is a flying ram with a golden fleece: on Hermes’ orders it rescued Phrixus and Helle and carried Phrixus to Colchis. Helle fell in flight, and the Dardanelles took her name, the Hellespont. The Babylonians saw a ram here, and a hired farm labourer.
Sign
21 March to 20 April. In the real sky the Sun passes in front of Aries from about 19 April to 14 May.
Its stars
Magnitude says how bright a star looks from here: the smaller the number, the brighter the star.
Mesarthim
Gamma Arietis
- Type
- White star
- Distance
- about 166 light years
- Brightness
- magnitude 3.86
- Name
- “The First Star in Aries”: once the visible star nearest the spring equinox point
A double star a small telescope splits into two white stars.
Sheratan
Beta Arietis
- Type
- White star
- Distance
- about 58 light years
- Brightness
- magnitude 2.65
- Name
- “The two signs” (Arabic)
A white star with a Sun-like companion, 58 light-years away.
Hamal
Alpha Arietis
- Type
- Orange giant
- Distance
- about 66 light years
- Brightness
- magnitude 2.00
- Name
- “Head of the ram” (Arabic)
The brightest of Aries; on average the 50th-brightest star of the night.
Weixiu
35 Arietis
- Type
- Blue-white star
- Distance
- about 340 light years
- Brightness
- magnitude 4.64
- Name
- From the Chinese constellation Wèi, “the Stomach”
Its companion is unseen; only shifts in its light give it away.
Lilii Borea
39 Arietis
- Type
- Orange giant
- Distance
- about 172 light years
- Brightness
- magnitude 4.51
- Name
- “In the north of the Lily” (Latin): the old constellation Lilium
An orange giant that once belonged to the obsolete Northern Fly.
Bharani
41 Arietis
- Type
- Blue-white star
- Distance
- about 166 light years
- Brightness
- magnitude 3.63
- Name
- The second lunar mansion of Hindu astronomy
It spins so fast that its radius is 12% larger at the equator than at the poles.
Botein
Delta Arietis
- Type
- Orange giant
- Distance
- about 165 light years
- Brightness
- magnitude 4.35
- Name
- “The little belly” (Arabic)
An orange giant burning helium at its core.
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Sources: constellation areas follow the International Astronomical Union (IAU) boundaries; star values come from Wikipedia’s articles, based on Hipparcos and Gaia; the Sun’s dates come from EarthSky. Distances are rounded.