Alpha Phoenicis

[David Coleman '88 cc]

Alpha Phoenicis, also known as Ankaa, is a Southern star of
approximately -40 degrees latitude. To northerly viewers it
appears WWSW of Fomalhaut. Ankaa is a star of approximately
2.5 magnitude, definitly a fairly bright star. At my latitude,
+41 degrees North latitude, Ankaa would culminate, in a sky with
a perfect horizon, at around 8 degrees above the horizon. However,
myself being an active stargazer, Im have never spotted it,
neither with my naked eye nor binoculars. Sure Ankaa lurks relatively
near the horizon and I've searched for it, by chance, always with a
third quarter moon ninety degrees away in the east, but a second
magnitude star of even that low culmination should at least appear
in binoculars, yet I've searched at least four hours for it over
a relatively dark horizon.

Well, maybe I'll never find that quarry of a quandary.
If any of you fellow astronomers have anything to note me on
this elusive beast of a star, then please make note of it in a reply or
something, if not in an astro.expert file.

-Triton-