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The 55th birthday star

Caph

in Cassiopeia · about 55 light-years · HIP 746

Someone turning 55 in 2026 was born in 1971. The light arriving tonight from Caph left the star around 1972, one year after they were born. Look up on their 55th birthday and the light in their eyes is about as old as they are.

Find their exact star (free)Design a 55th birthday print

Hipparcos distances · by Mayukh Bagchi, founder & phd candidate in astronomy

The star

Caph at a glance

Distance
55 ly
Light left
around 1972
Constellation
Cassiopeia
Brightness
mag 2.3
Highest at midnight
September
Catalogue
HIP 746

How to find it

Caph is bright enough to see from most towns. It sits in Cassiopeia and stands highest at midnight in September; a month or two either side it is up in the evening or before dawn. Northern hemisphere skies only.

  • · From New York: climbs to about 72° above the northern horizon
  • · From London: climbs to about 82° above the northern horizon
  • · From Sydney: never rises

Why this star, for 55

Light crosses one light-year in one year, so a star 55 light-years away shows you light that left it 55 years ago. Match that to an age and you have a birthday star. Caph is the brightest named star within a year and a half of 55 light-years.

It stays their birthday star while they are between 53.2 and 56.1 years old. Every birthday adds a light-year, so next year's star may be a different one: the free finder uses the exact birth date.

Other named stars near 55 light-years

StarDistanceLight left
ZosmaLeo58 ly1969
CastorGemini52 ly1975
WasatGemini59 ly1967
A framed star map with the birthday star ringed, lifted out of a gift box for a 55th birthday

A 55th birthday gift

Their star, ringed on the sky they were born under

Enter their birth date, time and birthplace in the designer and we draw that night's sky from the Hipparcos catalogue, then ring their birthday star in gold and name it under the date. Add a line of your own. It works for a 55th because the star is not a story: it is a distance and a date they can check.

  • · Framed from $79.99, ready to hang · prints from $39.99
  • · Digital $19.99: we can email it to them on their birthday with your note
  • · Or the Birthday Star Certificate, one printable page, $7.99
  • · Free Shipping on every print
Design it · framed from $79.99or send the digital file, $19.99or find their exact star first

Birthday stars for other milestones

Or start from the birthday star finder, the birthday star map page or all star map gifts.

Questions

55th birthday star questions

What is the 55th birthday star?
Caph, in Cassiopeia. It is about 55 light-years away, so the light reaching Earth from it now left the star around 1972. For someone turning 55 in 2026, born in 1971, that is one year after they were born.
Is it the same star for everyone turning 55?
Close to it. The match uses age to the day, and Caph is the birthday star for anyone between 53.2 and 56.1 years old. Someone a few months either side of their birthday may land on a neighbouring star. For an exact answer, enter their birth date in the free finder on the birthday star page.
Can you see Caph with the naked eye?
Caph shines at magnitude 2.3: bright enough to see from most towns. It stands highest at midnight in September. Northern hemisphere skies only. From New York it climbs to about 72° above the horizon; from Sydney, it never rises.
How accurate is 55 light-years?
The distance comes from the Hipparcos parallax catalogue, the same data the star charts on this site are drawn from. Parallax is very precise for the nearest stars and less so past about 100 light-years, which is why we round and say "about".
What is a good 55th birthday gift with their star?
Their birth-night sky with Caph (or their exact birthday star) ringed and named under the date: a framed print from $79.99 with free shipping, a digital file ($19.99) we can email to them on the day, or the printable Birthday Star Certificate ($7.99).

Exact to the day

Find their birthday star, then give the night

Free finder. Digital from $19.99, prints from $39.99. Free Shipping on every print.

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