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Encyclopedia > List of brightest stars

Bright stars can be bright because they produce more light, because they are closer to us, or both. Apparent magnitude measures the brightness we observe, while absolute magnitude indicates a star's true brightness.

Contents


By apparent magnitude

Below are the 100 brightest stars as seen from Earth (by apparent magnitude at visible wavelengths) according to the Hipparcos sky survey. The Pleiades star cluster A star is a massive body of plasma in outer space that is currently producing or has produced energy through nuclear fusion. ... Earth is the third planet in the solar system. ... // Headline text HEY!! HOW ARE YOU ALL?? Its nice of you to come read this page. ... Hipparcos (for High Precision Parallax Collecting Satellite) was an astrometry mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) dedicated to the measurement of stellar parallax and the proper motions of stars. ...


The exact order of this list is not completely well-defined because of the following reasons:

  • Double stars here are sometimes treated individually, while other lists may combine their brightness.
  • There are statistical variations in measured values.
  • Some stars are actually variable stars (as indicated with var).
  Magnitude Bayer Designation Proper name Distance (ly) External link
0 −26.73   The Sun 0.000 016
1 −1.44 α CMa Sirius 8.61 Sirius on SIMBAD.
2 −0.62 α Car Canopus 312 Canopus on SIMBAD.
3 −0.05 var α Boo Arcturus 36.7 Arcturus on SIMBAD.
4 −0.01 α1 Cen Alpha Centauri A 4.40 Alpha Centauri A on SIMBAD.
5 0.03 α Lyr Vega 25.3 Vega on SIMBAD.
6 0.08 α Aur Capella 42.2 Capella on SIMBAD.
7 0.18 β Ori Rigel 773 Rigel on SIMBAD.
8 0.4 α Cmi Procyon 11.4 Procyon on SIMBAD.
9 0.45 α Eri Achernar 144 Achernar on SIMBAD.
10 0.45 var α Ori Betelgeuse 427 Betelgeuse on SIMBAD.
11 0.61 β Cen Hadar 525 Hadar on SIMBAD.
12 0.76 α Aql Altair 16.8 Altair on SIMBAD.
13 0.77 α Cru Acrux 321 Acrux on SIMBAD.
14 0.87 var α Tau Aldebaran 65.1 Aldebaran on SIMBAD.
15 0.98 α Vir Spica 262 Spica on SIMBAD.
16 1.06 α Sco Antares 604 Antares on SIMBAD.
17 1.16 β Gem Pollux 33.7 Pollux on SIMBAD.
18 1.17 α PsA Fomalhaut 25.1 Fomalhaut on SIMBAD.
19 1.25 β Cru Becrux 353 Becrux on SIMBAD.
20 1.25 α Cyg Deneb 3229 Deneb on SIMBAD.
21 1.35 α2 Cen Alpha Centauri B 4.40 Alpha Centauri B on SIMBAD.
22 1.36 α Leo Regulus 77.5 Regulus on SIMBAD.
23 1.5 ε CMa Adhara 431 Adhara on SIMBAD.
24 1.58 α Gem Castor 51.6 Castor on SIMBAD.
25 1.59 γ Cru Gacrux 87.9 Gacrux on SIMBAD.
26 1.62 λ Sco Shaula 703 Shaula on SIMBAD.
27 1.64 γ Ori Bellatrix 243 Bellatrix on SIMBAD.
28 1.65 β Tau El Nath 131 El Nath on SIMBAD.
29 1.67 β Car Miaplacidus 111 Miaplacidus on SIMBAD.
30 1.69 ε Ori Alnilam 1342 Alnilam on SIMBAD.
31 1.73 α Gru Al Na'ir 101 Al Na'ir on SIMBAD.
32 1.74 ζ Ori Alnitak 817 Alnitak on SIMBAD.
33 1.75 γ Vel Gamma Velorum 841 Gamma Velorum on SIMBAD.
34 1.76 ε UMa Alioth 80.9 Alioth on SIMBAD.
35 1.79 α Per Mirfak 592 Mirfak on SIMBAD.
36 1.79 ε Sgr Kaus Australis 145 Kaus Australis on SIMBAD.
37 1.81 α UMa Dubhe 124 Dubhe on SIMBAD.
38 1.83 δ CMa Wezen 1792 Wezen on SIMBAD.
39 1.85 η UMa Alkaid / Benetnasch 101 Benetnasch on SIMBAD.
40 1.86 ε Car Avior 632 Avior on SIMBAD.
41 1.86 θ Sco Sargas 272 Sargas on SIMBAD.
42 1.9 β Aur Menkalinan 82.1 Menkalinan on SIMBAD.
43 1.91 α TrA Atria 416 Atria on SIMBAD.
44 1.93 γ Gem Alhena 105 Alhena on SIMBAD.
45 1.93 δ Vel Delta Velorum 79.8 Delta Velorum on SIMBAD.
46 1.94 α Pav Peacock 183 Peacock on SIMBAD.
47 1.97 var α UMi Polaris 431 Polaris on SIMBAD.
48 1.98 β CMa Murzim 499 Murzim on SIMBAD.
49 1.99 α Hya Alphard 177 Alphard on SIMBAD.
50 2.01 α Ari Hamal 65.9 Hamal on SIMBAD.
51 2.01 γ Leo Algieba 126 Algieba on SIMBAD.
52 2.04 β Cet Deneb Kaitos 95.8 Deneb Kaitos+ on SIMBAD.
53 2.05 σ Sgr Nunki 224 Nunki on SIMBAD.
54 2.06 θ Cen Menkent 60.9 Menkent on SIMBAD.
55 2.07 α And Alpheratz 97.1 Alpheratz on SIMBAD.
56 2.07 κ Ori Saiph 720 Saiph on SIMBAD.
57 2.07 β And Mirach 199 Mirach on SIMBAD.
58 2.07 β UMi Kochab 126 Kochab on SIMBAD.
59 2.07 β Gru Beta Gruis 170 Beta Gruis on SIMBAD.
60 2.08 α Oph Ras Alhague 46.7 Ras Alhague on SIMBAD.
61 2.09 var β Per Algol 92.8 Algol on SIMBAD.
62 2.1 γ And Alamach 355 Alamach on SIMBAD.
63 2.14 β Leo Denebola 36.2 Denebola on SIMBAD.
64 2.15 γ Cas Gamma Cassiopeiae 613 Gamma Cassiopeiae on SIMBAD.
65 2.2 γ Cen Gamma Centauri 130 Gamma Centauri on SIMBAD.
66 2.21 ζ Pup Naos 1340 Zeta Puppis on SIMBAD.
67 2.21 ι Car Aspidiske 692 Aspidiske on SIMBAD.
68 2.22 α CrB Gemma / Alphecca 74.7 Alphecca on SIMBAD.
69 2.23 λ Vel Lambda Velorum 573 Lambda Velorum on SIMBAD.
70 2.23 ζ UMa Mizar 78.2 Mizar on SIMBAD.
71 2.23 γ Cyg Sadr 1524 Sadr on SIMBAD.
72 2.24 α Cas Schedar 229 Schedar on SIMBAD.
73 2.24 γ Dra Eltanin 148 Eltanin on SIMBAD.
74 2.25 δ Ori Mintaka 916 Mintaka on SIMBAD.
75 2.28 β Cas Caph 54.5 Caph on SIMBAD.
76 2.29 ε Cen Epsilon Centauri 376 Epsil+n Centauri on SIMBAD.
77 2.29 δ Sco Dschubba 402 Dschubba on SIMBAD.
78 2.29 ε Sco Wei 65.4 Wei on SIMBAD.
79 2.3 α Lup Alpha Lupi 548 Alpha+Lupi on SIMBAD.
80 2.33 η Cen Eta Centauri 309 Eta C+ntauri on SIMBAD.
81 2.34 β UMa Merak 79.4 Merak on SIMBAD.
82 2.35 ε Boo Izar 210 Izar on SIMBAD.
83 2.38 ε Peg Enif 673 Enif on SIMBAD.
84 2.39 κ Sco Girtab 464 Girtab on SIMBAD.
85 2.4 α Phe Ankaa 77.4 Ankaa on SIMBAD.
86 2.41 γ UMa Phecda 83.7 Phecda on SIMBAD.
87 2.43 η Oph Sabik 84.1 Sabik on SIMBAD.
88 2.44 β Peg Scheat 199 Scheat on SIMBAD.
89 2.45 α Cep Alderamin 48.8 Alderamin on SIMBAD.
90 2.45 η CMa Aludra 3198 Aludra on SIMBAD.
91 2.47 κ Vel Kappa Velorum 539 Kappa Velorum on SIMBAD.
92 2.48 ε Cyg Gienah 72.1 Gienah on SIMBAD.
93 2.49 α Peg Markab 140