List of brightest stars
Below are the 52 brightest individual stars in order of their average apparent magnitudes in the visible spectrum as seen from Earth.
To the naked eye on a clear dark night, in a place far from cities and lights, the total number of stars visible is about 9000. This is not the same as a list of the brightest stars as seen with the naked eye, because close binary or multiple star systems will appear as a single star brighter than their individual components. The binary system Alpha Centauri has an apparent magnitude of -0.27, but the brightest individual star is Alpha Centauri A with the apparent magnitude as listed here of -0.01. Hence Alpha Centauri is the third brightest star in the night sky, whilst its brightest component Alpha Centauri A is the fourth brightest individual star.[1]
V Mag. (m) |
Bayer designation | Proper name | Distance (ly) | Spectral class | SIMBAD | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0 | −26.74 | (Sun) | 0.000 016 | G2 V | ||
1 | −1.46 | α CMa | Sirius | 8.6 | A1 V | Sirius A |
2 | −0.72 | α Car | Canopus | 310 | F0 Ia | Canopus |
3 | −0.27 | α Cen AB (α1 Cen) | Alpha Centauri | 4.4 | G2 V/K1 V | Alpha Centauri A |
4 | −0.04 var | α Boo | Arcturus | 37 | K1.5 III | Arcturus |
5 | 0.03 | α Lyr | Vega | 25 | A0 V | Vega |
6 | 0.08 | α Aur | Capella | 42 | G8 III, G1 III | Capella A |
7 | 0.12 | β Ori | Rigel | 860 | B8 Iab | Rigel |
8 | 0.34 | α CMi | Procyon | 11 | F5 IV-V | Procyon |
9 | 0.42 var | α Ori | Betelgeuse | [2] | 640M2 Iab | Betelgeuse |
10 | 0.50 | α Eri | Achernar | 140 | B3 Vpe | Achernar |
11 | 0.60 | β Cen | Hadar, Agena | 350 | B1 III | Hadar (Agena) |
12 | 0.77 | α Aql | Altair | 17 | A7 V | Altair |
13 | 0.77 | α Cru | Acrux | 320 | B1 V | Acrux A |
14 | 0.85 var | α Tau | Aldebaran | 65 | K5 III | Aldebaran |
15 | 0.96 | α2 Aur | Capella B | 42 | G1 III | Capella B |
16 | 1.04 | α Vir | Spica | 260 | B1 III-IV, B2 V | Spica |
17 | 1.09 var | α Sco | Antares | 600 | M1.5 Iab-b | Antares |
18 | 1.15 | β Gem | Pollux | 34 | K0 IIIb | Pollux |
19 | 1.16 | α PsA | Fomalhaut | 25 | A3 V | Fomalhaut |
20 | 1.25 | α Cyg | Deneb | 1,550 | A2 Ia | Deneb |
21 | 1.30 | β Cru | Mimosa, Becrux | 350 | B0.5 IV | Mimosa |
22 | 1.35 | α Leo | Regulus | 77 | B7 V | Regulus |
23 | 1.51 | ε CMa | Adara | 430 | B2 Iab | Adara |
24 | 1.58 | α Gem | Castor | 52 | A1 V, A2 Vm | Castor |
25 | 1.62 | λ Sco | Shaula | 700 | B1.5-2 IV+ | Shaula |
26 | 1.63 | γ Cru | Gacrux | 88 | M4III | Gacrux |
27 | 1.64 | γ Ori | Bellatrix | 240 | B2 III | Bellatrix |
28 | 1.68 | β Tau | El Nath | 130 | B7 III | El Nath |
29 | 1.68 | β Car | Miaplacidus | 110 | A2 IV | Miaplacidus |
30 | 1.70 | ε Ori | Alnilam | 1,300 | B0 Iab | Alnilam |
31 | 1.70 | ζ Ori A | Alnitak | 820 | O9 Iab | Alnitak A |
32 | 1.74 | α Gru | Alnair | 100 | B7 IV | Al Na'ir |
33 | 1.76 | ε UMa | Alioth | 81 | A0pCr | Alioth |
34 | 1.78 | γ2 Vel | Suhail, Regor | 840 | WC8 + O7.5e | Gamma2 Velorum |
35 | 1.79 | α UMa | Dubhe | 120 | K0 III, F0 V | Dubhe |
36 | 1.80 | ε Sgr | Kaus Australis | 140 | B9.5 III | Kaus Australis |
37 | 1.82 | α Per | Mirfak | 590 | F5 Ib | Mirfak |
38 | 1.84 | δ CMa | Wezen | 1,800 | F8 Ia | Wezen |
39 | 1.85 | η UMa | Benetnasch, Alkaid | 100 | B3 V | Benetnasch (Alkaid) |
40 | 1.86 | θ Sco | Sargas | 270 | F1 II | Sargas |
41 | 1.86 | ε Car | Avior | 630 | K3 III, B2 Vp | Avior |
42 | 1.90 | γ Gem | Alhena | 100 | A0 IV | Alhena |
43 | 1.91 | α Pav | Peacock | 180 | B2 IV | Peacock |
44 | 1.92 | α TrA | Atria | 420 | K2 IIb-IIIa | Atria |
45 | 1.96 | δ Vel | Koo She | 80 | A1 V, F2-F5 | Delta Velorum |
46 | 1.97 var | α UMi | Polaris | 430 | F7 Ib-II | Polaris |
47 | 1.98 | β CMa | Mirzam | 500 | B1 II-III | Murzim |
48 | 1.98 | α Hya | Alphard | 180 | K3 II-III | Alphard |
49 | 2.00 | α Ari | Hamal | 66 | K2IIICa-1 | Hamal |
50 | 2.01 | γ1 Leo | Algieba | 130 | K0 IIIb, G7 IIICN | Algieba |
51 | 2.02 | β Cet | Diphda | 96 | K0 III | Diphda |
52 | 2.04 | ζ UMa | Mizar | 83 | A2 Vp, A2 Vp, Am 53 | Mizar |
References
change- ↑ "How Many Stars You Can Observe".
- ↑ Graham M. Harper, Alexander Brown, and Edward F. Guinan (April 2008). "A New VLA-Hipparcos Distance to Betelgeuse and its Implications" (PDF). The Astronomical Journal. 135 (4). IOP Publishing: 1430–1440. Bibcode:2008AJ....135.1430H. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/135/4/1430. S2CID 34660949. Retrieved 2010-07-10.
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