List of brightest stars

This is a list of the brightest naked eye stars to +2.50 magnitude, as determined by their maximum, total or combined apparent visual magnitudes as seen from Earth. Although several of the brightest stars are also known close binary or multiple star systems, they do appear to the naked eye as single stars. The given list below combines/adds the magnitudes of bright individual components.

Measurement

Apparent visual magnitudes of the brightest star can also be compared to non-stellar objects in our Solar System. Here the maximum visible magnitudes above the brightest star, Sirius (-1.46), are as follows. Excluding the Sun, the brightest objects are the Moon (−12.7), Venus (−4.89), Jupiter (−2.94), Mars (−2.91), Mercury (−2.45), and Saturn (−0.49).

Any exact order of the visual brightness of stars is not perfectly defined for the following reasons:

• Stellar brightness were traditionally based on the apparent visual magnitude as perceived by the human eye, from the brightest stars of 1st magnitude to the faintest at 6th magnitude. Since the invention of the telescope and the discovery of double or binary stars meant that star brightness could be expressed as either individual (separate) or total (combined). The table is ordered by combined magnitude of all components that appear to the naked eye as if it were a single star, with the magnitudes of any individual components bright enough to make a detectable contribution included in parentheses. For example, the total or combined magnitude of the double star Alpha Centauri is −0.27, while its two component stars have magnitudes of +0.01 and +1.33.
• New or more accurate photometry, standard filters, or adopting differing methods using standard stars can measure stellar magnitudes slightly differently. This can change the apparent order of lists of bright stars. The table shows V magnitudes, and is measured using a specific filter that closely approximates human vision. However, other kinds of magnitude systems do exist based on different wavelengths, some well away from the distribution of the visible wavelengths of light, and this effects the assumed apparent brightness. This generally explains the cause of magnitude variance in the literature.
• There are sometimes small statistical variations in measured magnitudes; however, for most of the brightest stars, accurate photometry means brightness stays unchanged. These particular stars are sometimes called standard stars, which appear in the Catalogues of Fundamental Stars like the FK4, FK5 or FK6.
• Some stars, like Betelgeuse and Antares, are variable stars, changing their magnitude over days, months or years. In the table, the range of variation is indicated with var. Magnitudes are expressed within the table are either when the stars are at maximum, or for the red variable stars, they are based on the mean brightness of the star when it is near maximum, which is general estimated over many observed light-curve cycles, sometimes lasting centuries.
• The source of magnitudes cited in this list is the Wikipedia articles referenced - this list is simply a catalog of what Wikipedia itself documents.

Main table of the brightest stars

V Mag. (mV)	Bayer designation	Proper name	Distance (ly)	Spectral class
−26.74		Sun	0.000 016	G2 V
−1.46	α CMa	Sirius	8.6	A1 V, DA2
−0.74	α Car	Canopus	310	F0 Ib
−0.27 (0.01 + 1.33)	α Cen AB (α^1,2 Cen)	Rigil Kent, Toliman[1][note 1]	4.4	G2 V, K1 V
−0.05	α Boo	Arcturus	37	K0 III
0.03 (−0.02 - 0.07var)	α Lyr	Vega	25	A0 Va
0.08 (0.03 - 0.16var)	α Aur	Capella	42	K0 III, G1 III
0.13 (0.05 - 0.18var)	β Ori	Rigel	860	B8 Ia
0.34	α CMi	Procyon	11	F5 IV-V
0.46 (0.40 - 0.46var)	α Eri	Achernar	140	B6 Vep
0.50 (0.2 - 1.2var)	α Ori	Betelgeuse	640[2]	M2 Iab
0.61	β Cen	Agena, Hadar	350	B1 III
0.76	α Aql	Altair	17	A7 V
0.76 (1.33 + 1.73)	α Cru	Acrux	320	B0.5 IV, B1 V
0.86 (0.75 - 0.95var)	α Tau	Aldebaran	65	K5 III
0.96 (0.6 - 1.6var)	α Sco	Antares	600	M1.5 Iab, B3 V
0.97 (0.97 - 1.04var)	α Vir	Spica	260	B1 III-IV, B2 V
1.14	β Gem	Pollux	34	K0 III
1.16	α PsA	Fomalhaut	25	A3 V
1.25 (1.21 - 1.29var)	α Cyg	Deneb	2,600	A2 Ia
1.25 (1.23 - 1.31var)	β Cru	Mimosa, Becrux[note 1]	350	B0.5 II, B2 V
1.39	α Leo	Regulus	77	B7 V
1.50	ε CMa	Adara, Adhara	430	B2 Iab:
1.62	λ Sco	Shaula	700	B2 IV
1.62 (1.98 + 2.97)	α Gem	Castor	52	Am, A1 V
1.64	γ Cru	Gacrux	88	M3.5 III
1.64	γ Ori	Bellatrix	240	B2 III
1.65	β Tau	El Nath	130	B7 III
1.69	β Car	Miaplacidus	110	A1 III
1.69 (1.64 - 1.74var)	ε Ori	Alnilam	2,000	B0 Ia
1.72 (1.81 - 1.87var + 4.27)	γ^1,2 Vel	Suhail, Regor	840	WC8, O7.5e
1.74	α Gru	Alnair	100	B7 IV
1.77	ε UMa	Alioth	81	A1 III-IVp kB9
1.77	ζ Ori A	Alnitak	820	O9.7 Ib, O9 III, B0 II-IV
1.79	α UMa	Dubhe	120	G9 III, A7.5
1.80	α Per	Mirfak	590	F5 Ib
1.82	δ CMa	Wezen	1,800	F8 Ia
1.84	θ Sco	Sargas	270	F0 II
1.85	ε Sgr	Kaus Australis	140	B9.5 III
1.86	ε Car	Avior	630	K3 III, B2 Vp
1.86	η UMa	Benetnasch, Alkaid	100	B3 V
1.90 (1.89 - 1.94var)	β Aur	Menkalinan	100	A1mIV+A1mIV
1.91	α TrA	Atria	420	K2 IIb-IIIa
1.92	γ Gem	Alhena	100	A1.5 IV+
1.94	α Pav	Peacock	180	B2 IV
1.96 (1.99 - 2.39var + 5.57)	δ Vel	-	80	A1 Va(n), F2-F5
1.98	β CMa	Mirzam	500	B1 II-III
2.00	α Hya	Alphard	180	K3 II-III
1.98 (1.86 - 2.13var)	α UMi	Polaris	430	F8 Ib
2.00	α Ari	Hamal	66	K1 IIIb
2.08 (2.37 + 3.64)	γ^1 Leo	Algieba	130	K0 III, G7 IIIb
2.02	β Cet	Deneb Kaitos, Diphda	96	K0 III
2.05	σ Sgr	Nunki, Sadira	220	B2.5 V
2.06	θ Cen	Menkent	61	K0 III
2.05 (2.01 - 2.10var)	β And	Mirach	200	M0III
2.06	α And	Alpheratz, Sirrah	97	B8 IV
2.07	α Oph	Rasalhague	47	A5 V
2.08	β UMi	Kochab	130	K4 III
2.09	κ Ori	Saiph	720	B0 Iab:
2.11	β Leo	Denebola	36	A3 Va
2.12 (2.1 - 3.39var)	β Per	Algol	93	B8 V
2.15 (2.0 - 2.3var)	β Gru	-	170	M5 III
2.17	γ Cen	Muhlifain	130	A1IV, (A0III/A0III)
2.21	ι Car	Aspidiske, Turais	690	A9 Ib
2.21 (2.14 - 2.30var)	λ Vel	Suhail	570	K4.5 Ib-II
2.23 (2.21 - 2.32var)	α CrB	Alphecca, Gemma	75	A0 V, G5 V
2.23 (2.23 - 2.35var)	δ Ori	Mintaka	900	B0 III, O9 V
2.23	γ Cyg	Sadr	1,500	F8 Ib
2.23	γ Dra	Eltanin	150	K5 III
2.24	α Cas	Schedar	230	K0 IIIa
2.25	ζ Pup	Naos	1,100	O4 If(n)p
2.26	γ And	Almach	350	K3 IIb, B9.5 V, B9.5 V, A0 V
2.27	ζ^1 UMa	Mizar	78	A2 Vp, A2 Vp, A1m, A5 V
2.28 (2.25 - 2.31var)	β Cas	Caph	54	F2 III
2.29	ε Boo	Izar	202	K0 II-III, A2 V
2.30 (2.29 - 2.34var)	α Lup	Men, Kakkab	550	B1.5 III
2.30 (2.29 - 2.31var)	ε Cen	-	380	B1III
2.31 (1.6 - 2.32var)	δ Sco	Dschubba	400	B0.3 IV
2.31	ε Sco	Wei	65	K1 III
2.35 (2.30 - 2.41var)	η Cen	Marfikent	310	B1.5Vne
2.37	β UMa	Merak	79	A1 IVps
2.38	α Phe	Ankaa, Nair al Zaurak	77	K0.5 IIIb
2.39	κ Sco	Girtab	460	B1.5 III
2.40 (0.7 - 3.0var)	ε Peg	Enif	670	K2 Ib
2.42 (2.31 - 2.74var)	β Peg	Scheat	200	M2.5 II-IIIe
2.43	η Oph	Sabik	49	A1 V, A3 V
2.44	γ UMa	Phecda	84	A0Ve
2.45	η CMa	Aludra	2,000[3]	B5 Ia
2.46	κ Vel	Markeb	540	B2 IV
2.47 (1.6 - 3.0var)	γ Cas	Tsih, Navi	610	B0.5 IVpe
2.48	α Peg	Markab	140	B9 III
2.48	ε Cyg	Gienah	72	K0 III-IV
2.50	β Sco	Acrab	404	B1V, B2V

See also

• 88 modern constellations by area
• Historical brightest stars: the brightest star in Earth's night sky at each period within the last or next 5 million years
• List of largest stars
• List of most luminous stars
• List of nearest bright stars
• List of nearest galaxies
• List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs
• Lists of constellations
• Lists of stars
• Lists of stars by constellation
• Stars and planetary systems in fiction

Notes

1. Not in common use

References

1. Kunitzsch P., & Smart, T., A Dictionary of Modern star Names: A Short Guide to 254 Star Names and Their Derivations, Cambridge, Sky Pub. Corp., 2006, p. 27
2. 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 (IOP Publishing) 135 (4,): 1430–1440. Bibcode:2008AJ....135.1430H. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/135/4/1430. Retrieved 2010-07-10.
3. van Leeuwen, F. (November 2007). "Validation of the new Hipparcos reduction". Astronomy and Astrophysics 474 (2): 653–664. arXiv:0708.1752. Bibcode:2007A&A...474..653V. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20078357.

External links

• 25 Brightest Stars, as Seen from the Earth
• The Brightest Stars at An Atlas of the Universe
• The Magnitude system
• About stellar magnitudes