Star Statistics
Note: (var) means that the star varies in brightness.
Apparent magnitude: brightness, as seen from Earth; the lower
the magnitude, the brighter the star.
| The Brightest Stars in the Sky |
|
| Name |
Constellation to which star belongs |
Apparent Magnitude |
| Sirius |
Canis Major |
-1.46 |
| Canopus |
Carina |
-0.72 |
| Rigil Kent (Alpha Centauri) |
Centaurus |
-0.27 |
| Arcturus |
Bootes |
-0.04 |
| Vega |
Lyra |
+0.03 |
| Capella |
Auriga |
+0.08 |
| Rigel |
Orion |
+0.12 |
| Procyon |
Canis Minor |
+0.38 |
| Achernar |
Eridanus |
+0.46 |
| Betelgeuse |
Orion |
+0.50 (var) |
Note: Proxima Centauri is part of the Alpha Centauri system.
Apparent magnitude: brightness, as seen from Earth; the lower
the magnitude, the brighter the star.
| The Nearest Stars |
|
| Star |
Distance (light-years) |
Apparent Magnitude |
| Proxima Centauri |
4.2 |
+11.0 |
| Alpha Centauri |
4.3 |
-0.3 |
| Barnard's Star |
6.0 |
+9.5 |
| Wolf 359 |
7.7 |
+13.5 |
| Lalande 21185 |
8.2 |
+7.5 |
| UV Ceti |
8.4 |
+12.5 |
| Sirius |
8.6 |
-1.46 |
| Ross 154 |
9.4 |
+10.5 |
| Ross 248 |
10.4 |
+12.3 |
| Epsilon Eridani |
10.8 |
+3.7 |
| Ross 128 |
10.9 |
+11.1 |
Shop Windows to the Universe Science Store!
The
Summer 2010 issue of The Earth Scientist, available in our
online store, includes articles on rivers and snow, classroom planetariums, satellites and oceanography, hands-on astronomy, and global warming.
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