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 individual stars in determined by their average apparent magnitudes in the visible spectrum as seen from Earth. This is not the same as a list of the brightest stars as seen with the naked eye, as close binary or multiple star systems will appear as a single star with an apparent magnitude greater than their individual components, e.g. the binary system Rigel Kentaurus 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. Stellar brightness in this selected table is limited to brighter than +2.50 magnitude, mostly as the available number of observable stars increases almost exponentially as the magnitude increases. To the naked eye on a clear dark night, in a location far from cities and lights, the total number of stars visible is around 9000 (9110 total objects in the Bright Star Catalogue of naked eye stars, including 9096 stars, ten novae or supernovae, and four clusters). Stars visible through optical aid increase this even further. Telescopically, the entire night's sky has been mapped, photographed and catalogued almost completely down to 11th magnitude, and recent star surveys are continuing to catalogue much fainter stars.

List

Below are listed the 93 brightest individual stars in order of their average apparent magnitudes.

For comparison, the non-stellar objects in our Solar System with maximum visible magnitudes below +2.50 are the Moon (−12.92), Venus (−4.89), Jupiter (−2.94), Mars (−2.91), Mercury (−2.45), and Saturn (−0.49).

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

• The brightnesses of all stars 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. The invention of the telescope and the discovery of double or binary stars meant that star brightness could be individual (separate) or total (combined).
• More and more accurate instrumental photometry differentiated stellar magnitudes, often changing the order of lists of brighter stars.
• Stellar magnitude is sometimes listed by the apparent brightness of stars as seen to the naked eye as if they were single stars, as it is here. Other examples include Norton's Star Atlas 18th Edition pg. 136.
• Other stellar magnitude lists report individual stars, differentiating those in binary stars or double star systems. Often, the differences apply to the ten or hundred brightest stars. For example, the total or combined magnitude of Capella is 0.08, while Capella A and B have magnitudes of 0.76 and 0.91.
• A third kind includes the Sun as first in the magnitude listings, making Sirius 2nd, Canopus 3rd, etc. Some, like this list, place the Sun at zero, as it is not a nighttime star.
• 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, these are indicated with var.)

	V Mag. (m)	Bayer designation	Proper name	Distance (ly)	Spectral class	SIMBAD
0	0.000−26.74		(Sun)	0.000 016	G2 V
1	0.001−1.46	α CMa	Sirius	0008.6	A1 V	Sirius A
2	0.003−0.72	α Car	Canopus	0310	F0 Ia	Canopus
3	0.004−0.27	α Cen AB (α1,2 Cen)	Rigil Kent, Toliman	0004.4	G2 V/K1 V	Alpha Centauri
4	0.005−0.04 var	α Boo	Arcturus	0037	K1.5 III	Arcturus
5	0.03	α Lyr	Vega	0025	A0 V	Vega
6	0.08	α Aur	Capella	0042	G8 III, G1 III	Capella A
7	0.12	β Ori	Rigel	0860	B8 Iab	Rigel
8	0.34	α CMi	Procyon	0011	F5 IV-V	Procyon
9	0.42 var	α Ori	Betelgeuse	0640	M2 Iab	Betelgeuse
10	0.50	α Eri	Achernar	0140	B3 Vpe	Achernar
11	0.60	β Cen	Agena, Hadar	0350	B1 III	Hadar (Agena)
12	0.77	α Aql	Altair	0017	A7 V	Altair
13	0.77	α Cru	Acrux	0320	B1 V	Acrux A
14	0.85 var	α Tau	Aldebaran	0065	K5 III	Aldebaran
15	0.96	α2 Aur	Capella B	0042	G1 III	Capella B
16	1.04	α Vir	Spica	0260	B1 III-IV, B2 V	Spica
17	1.09 var	α Sco	Antares	0600	M1.5 Iab-b	Antares
18	1.15	β Gem	Pollux	0034	K0 IIIb	Pollux
19	1.16	α PsA	Fomalhaut	0025	A3 V	Fomalhaut
20	1.25	α Cyg	Deneb	2,600	A2 Ia	Deneb
21	1.30	β Cru	Mimosa, Becrux	0350	B0.5 IV	Mimosa
22	1.35	α Leo	Regulus	0077	B7 V	Regulus
23	1.51	ε CMa	Adara	0430	B2 Iab	Adara
24	1.58	α Gem	Castor	0052	A1 V, A2 Vm	Castor
25	1.62	λ Sco	Shaula	0700	B1.5-2 IV+	Shaula
26	1.63	γ Cru	Gacrux	0088	M4III	Gacrux
27	1.64	γ Ori	Bellatrix	0240	B2 III	Bellatrix
28	1.68	β Tau	El Nath	0130	B7 III	El Nath
29	1.68	β Car	Miaplacidus	0110	A2 IV	Miaplacidus
30	1.70	ε Ori	Alnilam	1,300	B0 Iab	Alnilam
31	1.70	ζ Ori A	Alnitak	0820	O9 Iab	Alnitak A
32	1.74	α Gru	Alnair	0100	B7 IV	Al Na'ir
33	1.76	ε UMa	Alioth	0081	A0pCr	Alioth
34	1.78	γ2 Vel	Suhail, Regor	0840	WC8 + O7.5e	Gamma2 Velorum
35	1.79	α UMa	Dubhe	0120	K0 III, F0 V	Dubhe
36	1.80	ε Sgr	Kaus Australis	0140	B9.5 III	Kaus Australis
37	1.82	α Per	Mirfak	0590	F5 Ib	Mirfak
38	1.84	δ CMa	Wezen	1,800	F8 Ia	Wezen
39	1.85	η UMa	Benetnasch, Alkaid	0100	B3 V	Benetnasch (Alkaid)
40	1.86	θ Sco	Sargas	0270	F1 II	Sargas
41	1.86	ε Car	Avior	0630	K3 III, B2 Vp	Avior
42	1.90	γ Gem	Alhena	0100	A0 IV	Alhena
43	1.91	α Pav	Peacock	0180	B2 IV	Peacock
44	1.92	α TrA	Atria	0420	K2 IIb-IIIa	Atria
45	1.96	δ Vel	Koo She	0080	A1 V, F2-F5	Delta Velorum
46	1.97 var	α UMi	Polaris	0430	F7 Ib-II	Polaris
47	1.98	β CMa	Mirzam	0500	B1 II-III	Murzim
48	1.98	α Hya	Alphard	0180	K3 II-III	Alphard
49	2.00	α Ari	Hamal	0066	K2IIICa-1	Hamal
50	2.01	γ1 Leo	Algieba	0130	K0 IIIb, G7 IIICN	Algieba
51	2.04	β Cet	Deneb Kaitos, Diphda	0096	K0 III	Deneb Kaitos
52	2.05	κ Ori	Saiph	0720	B0.5Iavar	Saiph
53	2.06	σ Sgr	Nunki, Sadira	0220	B2.5 V	Nunki
54	2.06	θ Cen	Menkent	0061	K0IIIb	Menkent
55	2.06	α And	Alpheratz, Sirrah	0097	B8IV	Alpheratz
56	2.06	β And	Mirach	0200	M0III	Mirach
57	2.08	β UMi	Kochab	0130	K4 III	Kochab
58	2.10	α Oph	Rasalhague	0047	A5V	Ras Alhague
59	2.12 var	β Per	Algol	0093	B8V	Algol
60	2.13	β Gru	-	0170	M5 III	Beta Gruis
61	2.14	β Leo	Denebola	0036	A3 V	Denebola
62	2.15	γ And	Almach	0350	K3IIb, B9.5V	Almach
63	2.17	γ Cen	Muhlifain	0130	A1IV, (A0III/A0III)	Muhlifain
64	2.21	ζ Pup	Naos, Suhail Hadar	1,400	O5 Ia	Zeta Puppis
65	2.21	α CrB	Alphecca, Gemma	0075	A0V, G5V	Alphecca
66	2.23	λ Vel	Suhail	0570	K4.5 Ib-II	Lambda Velorum
67	2.23	γ Dra	Eltanin	0150	K5 III	Etamin
68	2.23	ζ1 UMa	Mizar	0078	A2 V	Mizar A
69	2.23	δ Ori	Mintaka	0900	O9.5 II, B0.5III	Mintaka
70	2.24	γ Cyg	Sadr	1,500	F8 Ib	Sadr
71	2.25	α Cas	Schedar	0230	K0 IIIa	Schedar
72	2.25	ι Car	Aspidiske, Turais	0690	A8 Ib	Aspidiske
73	2.27	β Cas	Caph	0054	F2 III-IV	Caph
74	2.27	ε Cen	-	0380	B1III	Epsilon Centauri
75	2.28	α Lup	Men, Kakkab	0550	B1.5 II	Alpha Lupi
76	2.29	δ Sco	Dschubba	0400	B0.2 IV	Dschubba
77	2.29	ε Sco	Wei	0065	K2 IIIb	Wei
78	2.32	η Cen	Marfikent	0310	B1.5Vne	Eta Centauri
79	2.35	β UMa	Merak	0079	A1V	Merak
80	2.37	α Phe	Ankaa, Nair al Zaurak	0077	K0 III	Ankaa
81	2.38	κ Sco	Girtab	0460	B1.5 III	Girtab
82	2.39	γ Cas	Tsih, Navi	0610	B0.5 IVe	Gamma Cassiopeiae
83	2.39	ε Boo	Izar	0202	A0	Izar
84	2.40	ε Peg	Enif	0670	K2 Ib	Enif
85	2.40	η CMa	Aludra	2,000	B5 Ia	Aludra
86	2.42	β Peg	Scheat	0200	M2.3 II-III	Scheat
87	2.43	γ UMa	Phecda	0084	A0Ve SB	Phecda
88	2.43	η Oph	Sabik	0049	A1 V, A3 V	Sabik
89	2.44	α Cep	Alderamin	0049	A7 IV	Alderamin
90	2.46	κ Vel	Markeb	0540	B2 IV-V	Kappa Velorum
91	2.49	α Peg	Markab	0140	B9 III	Markab
92	2.50	ε Cyg	Gienah	0072	K0 II	Gienah
93	2.50	β Sco	Acrab	0404	B1V+B2V	Acrab

See also

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

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