Beta Aurigae is a binary star system in the northern constellation of Auriga. Its identifier is a Bayer designation that is Latinized from β Aurigae, and abbreviated Beta Aur or β Aur. This star has the official name Menkalinan, pronounced . The combined apparent visual magnitude of the system is 1.9, making it the second-brightest member of the constellation after Capella. Using the parallax measurements made during the Hipparcos mission, the distance to this star system can be estimated as 81.1 light-years (24.9 parsecs), give or take a half-light-year margin of error. It is drifting closer to the Sun with a radial velocity of −18 km/s. Along their respective orbits around the Milky Way, Beta Aurigae and the Sun are closing in on each other, so that in around one million years it will become the brightest star in the night sky. It is predicted to come as close as 31.7 ly (9.72 pc) in 1.31 million years.

Closest relatives