Find the 20 top brightest stars: learn their names, where they reside, and special facts.
Can you name the brightest star in the night sky? No, it's not Polaris. In fact, Polaris isn't even on the list of the brightest stars. Polaris is well-known because it is the North Star, or the Pole Star, which helps outdoorspeople orient themselves at night because it never sets in the Northern Hemisphere. But the fact is, it isn't all that bright.
- Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. At magnitude -1.46 (the lower the number, the brighter the object), it outshines all other stars handily. Found in the constellation Canis Major, the Big Dog, Sirius is sometimes called the Dog Star. It lies a relatively close 8.6 light-years from Earth, contributing to its brightness.
- Canopus is the second brightest star in the night sky and lies in the southern constellation of Carina, shining at magnitude -0.72. It lies 74 light-years from Earth.
- Rigil Kentaurus, also known as Alpha Centauri (the brightest star in the constellation Centaurus), is the closest star to the Sun at 4.3 light-years distant. It is in fact a triple star system, with its combined light shining at magnitude -0.27.
- Arcturus is an orange giant that shines at -0.04 magnitude in the constellation Bootes. It lies 34 light-years from Earth.
- Vega is the brightest star in Lyra and one of the three corners in the Summer Triangle. At magnitude 0.03, it lies 25 light-years from Earth.
- Capella is a magnitude 0.08 star in the constellation Auriga. It is a binary star that lies 41 light-years distant.
- Rigel is a blue-white supergiant that makes up the lower right corner of the constellation Orion. Rigel shines at magnitude 0.12 and its distance is still uncertain but can be said to be approximately 800 light-years from Earth.
- Procyon is a bright star in Canis Minor, the Little Dog. It lies 11.4 light-years away at a magnitude of 0.38.
- Achernar is the brighest star in the constellation Eridanus at magnitude 0.46. It lies 69 light-years away.
- Betelgeuse is a red supergiant and the second brightest star in the constellation Orion, anchoring the opposite corner of the constellation as Rigel. It is a variable star, which means it changes in brightness, and therefore estimates of its magnitude. 0.5 is a common measurement. It is estimated to lie between 400 and 500 light-years away.
- Hadar is the second brightest star in Centaurus. Another variable star, its magnitude is around 0.61 and it lies 320 light-years away.
- Altair is in the constellation Aquila the Eagle and marks another corner of the Summer Triangle. At magnitude 0.77 it lies 16 light-years from Earth. Altair is slightly flattened from its rapid spinning.
- Acrux is a double star in the constellation Crux. At magnitude 0.79, it lies 510 light-years from Earth.
- Aldebaran is the brightest star in Taurus the Bull, and denotes the "bull's eye". It is a variable star with an approximate magnitude of 0.85, lying 60 light-years from Earth.
- Antares is a variable red supergiant whose hue gave it a name which means "rival of Mars" (anti-Ares). It lies in the constellation Scorpius at 520-600 light-years distance and shines with a magnitude of 0.96.
- Spica is the brightest star in Virgo at magnitude 0.98. It is a double star and lies 220 light-years from Earth.
- Pollux is the brighter of the two twins in Gemini at magnitude 0.98. (The other twin is Castor.) Pollux shines at magnitude 1.14 and lies 35 light-years from Earth.
- Fomalhaut lies in the southern constellation of Piscis Austrinus (the Southern Fish). At magnitude 1.16, it lies 22 light-years from Earth.
- Deneb is the last corner of the Summer Triangle, residing in the constellation Cygnus the Swan. At magnitude 1.25, Deneb's distance is debated, but it lies somewhere between a whopping 1500 and 3000 light-years from Earth. Becrux is tied for 19th place. This star lies in the southern constellation Crux. It is a variable but its magnitude is also estimated at 1.25. It lies 460 light-years from Earth.
- Regulus is in Leo the Lion. Its name means "Little King." It lies 69 light-years away and shines at magnitude 1.35.
The copyright of the article The Brightest Stars in Astronomy & Space is owned by Kelly Whitt. Permission to republish The Brightest Stars must be granted by the author in writing.
