List of brightest stars

This article is about apparent magnitude. For absolute magnitude, see List of most luminous 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. Proper names in this list are those approved by the Working Group on Star Names of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and listed in the IAU's Catalog of Star Names.

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 a number of reasons:

Main table of the brightest stars

The source of magnitudes cited in this list is the linked Wikipedia articles - this basic list is simply a catalog of what Wikipedia itself documents. References can be found in the individual articles.

V Mag.
(mV)
Proper name Bayer designation Distance (ly) Spectral class
26.74 Sun   0.000 015 813 G2 V
1.46 Sirius α CMa 8.6 A1 V, DA2
0.74 Canopus α Car 310 A9 II
0.27 (0.01 + 1.33) Rigil Kentaurus α Cen 4.4 G2 V, K1 V
0.05 Arcturus α Boo 37 K0 III
0.03 (0.02 - 0.07var) Vega α Lyr 25 A0 Va
0.08 (0.03 - 0.16var) Capella α Aur 42 K0 III, G1 III
0.13 (0.05 - 0.18var) Rigel β Ori 860 B8 Ia
0.34 Procyon α CMi 11 F5 IV-V
0.46 (0.40 - 0.46var) Achernar α Eri 140 B6 Vep
0.50 (0.2 - 1.2var) Betelgeuse α Ori 640[6] M2 Iab
0.61 Hadar β Cen 350 B1 III
0.76 Altair α Aql 17 A7 V
0.76 (1.33 + 1.73) Acrux α Cru 320 B0.5 IV, B1 V
0.86 (0.75 - 0.95var) Aldebaran α Tau 65 K5 III
0.96 (0.6 - 1.6var) Antares α Sco 600 M1.5 Iab, B3 V
0.97 (0.97 - 1.04var) Spica α Vir 260 B1 III-IV, B2 V
1.14 Pollux β Gem 34 K0 III
1.16 Fomalhaut α PsA 25 A3 V
1.25 (1.21 - 1.29var) Deneb α Cyg 2,600 A2 Ia
1.25 (1.23 - 1.31var) Mimosa β Cru 350 B0.5 II, B2 V
1.39 Regulus α Leo 77 B7 V
1.50 Adhara ε CMa 430 B2 Iab:
1.62 Shaula λ Sco 700 B2 IV
1.62 (1.98 + 2.97) Castor α Gem 52 Am, A1 V
1.64 Gacrux γ Cru 88 M3.5 III
1.64 Bellatrix γ Ori 240 B2 III
1.65 Elnath β Tau 130 B7 III
1.69 Miaplacidus β Car 110 A1 III
1.69 (1.64 - 1.74var) Alnilam ε Ori 2,000 B0 Ia
1.72 (1.81 - 1.87var + 4.27) γ1,2 Vel 840 WC8, O7.5e
1.74 Alnair α Gru 100 B7 IV
1.77 Alioth ε UMa 81 A1 III-IVp kB9
1.77 Alnitak ζ Ori A 820 O9.7 Ib, O9 III, B0 II-IV
1.79 Dubhe α UMa 120 G9 III, A7.5
1.80 Mirfak α Per 590 F5 Ib
1.82 Wezen δ CMa 1,800 F8 Ia
1.84 Sargas θ Sco 270 F0 II
1.85 Kaus Australis ε Sgr 140 B9.5 III
1.86 Avior ε Car 630 K3 III, B2 Vp
1.86 Alkaid η UMa 100 B3 V
1.90 (1.89 - 1.94var) Menkalinan β Aur 100 A1mIV+A1mIV
1.91 Atria α TrA 420 K2 IIb-IIIa
1.92 Alhena γ Gem 100 A1.5 IV+
1.94 Peacock α Pav 180 B2 IV
1.96 (1.99 - 2.39var + 5.57) δ Vel 80 A1 Va(n), F2-F5
1.98 Mirzam β CMa 500 B1 II-III
2.00 Alphard α Hya 180 K3 II-III
1.98 (1.86 - 2.13var) Polaris α UMi 430 F8 Ib
2.00 Hamal α Ari 66 K1 IIIb
2.08 (2.37 + 3.64) Algieba γ1 Leo 130 K0 III, G7 IIIb
2.02 Diphda β Cet 96 K0 III
2.05 Nunki σ Sgr 220 B2.5 V
2.06 Menkent θ Cen 61 K0 III
2.05 (2.01 - 2.10var) Mirach β And 200 M0III
2.06 Alpheratz α And 97 B8 IV
2.07 Rasalhague α Oph 47 A5 V
2.08 Kochab β UMi 130 K4 III
2.09 Saiph κ Ori 720 B0 Iab:
2.11 Denebola β Leo 36 A3 Va
2.12 (2.1 - 3.39var) Algol β Per 93 B8 V
2.15 (2.0 - 2.3var) β Gru 170 M5 III
2.17 γ Cen 130 A1IV, (A0III/A0III)
2.21 Aspidiske ι Car 690 A9 Ib
2.21 (2.14 - 2.30var) Suhail λ Vel 570 K4.5 Ib-II
2.23 (2.21 - 2.32var) Alphecca α CrB 75 A0 V, G5 V
2.23 (2.23 - 2.35var) Mintaka δ Ori 900 B0 III, O9 V
2.23 Sadr γ Cyg 1,500 F8 Ib
2.23 Eltanin γ Dra 150 K5 III
2.24 Schedar α Cas 230 K0 IIIa
2.25 Naos ζ Pup 1,100 O4 If(n)p
2.26 Almach γ And 350 K3 IIb, B9.5 V, B9.5 V, A0 V
2.27 Mizar ζ1 UMa 78 A2 Vp, A2 Vp, A1m, A5 V
2.28 (2.25 - 2.31var) Caph β Cas 54 F2 III
2.29 Izar ε Boo 202 K0 II-III, A2 V
2.30 (2.29 - 2.34var) α Lup 550 B1.5 III
2.30 (2.29 - 2.31var) ε Cen 380 B1III
2.31 (1.6 - 2.32var) Dschubba δ Sco 400 B0.3 IV
2.31 ε Sco 65 K1 III
2.35 (2.30 - 2.41var) η Cen 310 B1.5Vne
2.37 Merak β UMa 79 A1 IVps
2.38 Ankaa α Phe 77 K0.5 IIIb
2.39 κ Sco 460 B1.5 III
2.40 (0.7 - 3.0var) Enif ε Peg 670 K2 Ib
2.42 (2.31 - 2.74var) Scheat β Peg 200 M2.5 II-IIIe
2.43 Sabik η Oph 49 A1 V, A3 V
2.44 Phecda γ UMa 84 A0Ve
2.45 Aludra η CMa 2,000[7] B5 Ia
2.46 κ Vel 540 B2 IV
2.47 (1.6 - 3.0var) γ Cas 610 B0.5 IVpe
2.48 Markab α Peg 140 B9 III
2.48 ε Cyg 72 K0 III-IV
2.50 Acrab β Sco 404 B1V, B2V

See also

Notes

    References

    1. Hoffleit, Dorrit; Jaschek, Carlos (1991). "The Bright star catalogue". New Haven. Bibcode:1991bsc..book.....H.
    2. Bessell, Michael S. (2005). "Standard Photometric Systems". Annual Review of Astronomy & Astrophysics. 43: 293. Bibcode:2005ARA&A..43..293B. doi:10.1146/annurev.astro.41.082801.100251.
    3. Ducati, J. R. (2002). "VizieR Online Data Catalog: Catalogue of Stellar Photometry in Johnson's 11-color system". CDS/ADC Collection of Electronic Catalogues. 2237. Bibcode:2002yCat.2237....0D.
    4. "Macmillan Dictionary of Astronomy (Illingworth, Valerie, 1985)". Dictionary Series (Second ed.). Springer. p. 237. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
    5. Landolt, Arlo U. (2009). "UBVRI Photometric Standard Stars Around the Celestial Equator: Updates and Additions". The Astronomical Journal. 137 (5): 4186. arXiv:0904.0638Freely accessible. Bibcode:2009AJ....137.4186L. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/137/5/4186.
    6. Harper, Graham M.; Brown, Alexander; Guinan, Edward F. (April 2008). "A New VLA-Hipparcos Distance to Betelgeuse and its Implications". The Astronomical Journal. IOP Publishing. 135 (4,): 1430–1440. Bibcode:2008AJ....135.1430H. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/135/4/1430.
    7. van Leeuwen, F. (November 2007). "Validation of the new Hipparcos reduction". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 474 (2): 653–664. arXiv:0708.1752Freely accessible. Bibcode:2007A&A...474..653V. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20078357.

    External links

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