Auriga (ôrĪˈgə) [key] [Lat., = the charioteer or wagoner], northern constellation traditionally represented as a man, possibly Vulcan, carrying a goat on his shoulder while driving a chariot. It lies E of Perseus and N of Gemini and Taurus. Auriga contains Capella, a bright, yellow giant star, and Epsilon Aurigae, an eclipsing binary in which a small star orbits a cool supergiant star. The constellation reaches its highest point in the evening sky in early February.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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