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The 75th birthday star

Alphecca

in Corona Borealis · about 75 light-years · HIP 76267

Someone turning 75 in 2026 was born in 1951. The light arriving tonight from Alphecca left the star around 1952, one year after they were born. Look up on their 75th birthday and the light in their eyes is about as old as they are.

Find their exact star (free)Design a 75th birthday print

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

The star

Alphecca at a glance

Distance
75 ly
Light left
around 1952
Constellation
Corona Borealis
Brightness
mag 2.2
Highest at midnight
May
Catalogue
HIP 76267

How to find it

Alphecca is bright enough to see from most towns. It sits in Corona Borealis and stands highest at midnight in May; a month or two either side it is up in the evening or before dawn.

  • · From New York: climbs to about 76° above the southern horizon
  • · From London: climbs to about 65° above the southern horizon
  • · From Sydney: climbs to about 29° above the northern horizon

Why this star, for 75

Light crosses one light-year in one year, so a star 75 light-years away shows you light that left it 75 years ago. Match that to an age and you have a birthday star. Alphecca is the brightest named star within a year and a half of 75 light-years.

It stays their birthday star while they are between 73.2 and 75.9 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 75 light-years

StarDistanceLight left
UnukalhaiSerpens73 ly1953
ZubenelgenubiLibra77 ly1949
Kaus BorealisSagittarius77 ly1949
AnkaaPhoenix77 ly1949
RegulusLeo78 ly1949
MizarUrsa Major78 ly1948
A framed star map with the birthday star ringed, lifted out of a gift box for a 75th birthday

A 75th 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 75th 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

75th birthday star questions

What is the 75th birthday star?
Alphecca, in Corona Borealis. It is about 75 light-years away, so the light reaching Earth from it now left the star around 1952. For someone turning 75 in 2026, born in 1951, that is one year after they were born.
Is it the same star for everyone turning 75?
Close to it. The match uses age to the day, and Alphecca is the birthday star for anyone between 73.2 and 75.9 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 Alphecca with the naked eye?
Alphecca shines at magnitude 2.2: bright enough to see from most towns. It stands highest at midnight in May. From New York it climbs to about 76° above the horizon; from Sydney, about 29°.
How accurate is 75 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 75th birthday gift with their star?
Their birth-night sky with Alphecca (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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