List of brightest stars

This article is about apparent magnitude

Below are listed the 91 brightest individual stars in order of 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.^[1] 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 stars in the Bright Star Catalogueof naked eye stars). 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.

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.^[2]
• 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	−26.74		(Sun)	0.000 016	G2 V
1	−1.46	α CMa	Sirius	8.6	A1 V	Sirius A
2	−0.72	α Car	Canopus	310	F0 Ia	Canopus
3	−0.27	α Cen AB (α1 Cen)	Rigil Kentaurus, Toliman	4.4	G2 V/K1 V	Alpha Centauri A
4	−0.04 var	α Boo	Arcturus	37	K1.5 III	Arcturus
5	0.03	α Lyr	Vega	25	A0 V	Vega
6	0.08	α Aur	Capella	42	G8 III, G1 III	Capella A
7	0.12	β Ori	Rigel	770	B8 Iab	Rigel
8	0.34	α CMi	Procyon	11	F5 IV-V	Procyon
9	0.42 var	α Ori	Betelgeuse	640 [3]	M2 Iab	Betelgeuse
10	0.50	α Eri	Achernar	140	B3 Vpe	Achernar
11	0.60	β Cen	Hadar, Agena	350	B1 III	Hadar (Agena)
12	0.77	α Aql	Altair	17	A7 V	Altair
13	0.77	α Cru	Acrux	320	B1 V	Acrux A
14	0.85 var	α Tau	Aldebaran	65	K5 III	Aldebaran
15	0.96	α2 Aur	Capella B	42	G1 III	Capella B
16	1.04	α Vir	Spica	260	B1 III-IV, B2 V	Spica
17	1.09 var	α Sco	Antares	600	M1.5 Iab-b	Antares
18	1.15	β Gem	Pollux	34	K0 IIIb	Pollux
19	1.16	α PsA	Fomalhaut	25	A3 V	Fomalhaut
20	1.25	α Cyg	Deneb	1,550	A2 Ia	Deneb
21	1.30	β Cru	Mimosa, Becrux	350	B0.5 IV	Mimosa
22	1.35	α Leo	Regulus	77	B7 V	Regulus
23	1.51	ε CMa	Adara	430	B2 Iab	Adara
24	1.58	α Gem	Castor	52	A1 V, A2 Vm	Castor
25	1.62	λ Sco	Shaula	700	B1.5-2 IV+	Shaula
26	1.63	γ Cru	Gacrux	88	M4III	Gacrux
27	1.64	γ Ori	Bellatrix	240	B2 III	Bellatrix
28	1.68	β Tau	El Nath	130	B7 III	El Nath
29	1.68	β Car	Miaplacidus	110	A2 IV	Miaplacidus
30	1.70	ε Ori	Alnilam	1,300	B0 Iab	Alnilam
31	1.70	ζ Ori A	Alnitak	820	O9 Iab	Alnitak A
32	1.74	α Gru	Alnair	100	B7 IV	Al Na'ir
33	1.76	ε UMa	Alioth	81	A0pCr	Alioth
34	1.78	γ2 Vel	Suhail, Regor	840	WC8 + O7.5e	Gamma2 Velorum
35	1.79	α UMa	Dubhe	120	K0 III, F0 V	Dubhe
36	1.80	ε Sgr	Kaus Australis	140	B9.5 III	Kaus Australis
37	1.82	α Per	Mirfak	590	F5 Ib	Mirfak
38	1.84	δ CMa	Wezen	1,800	F8 Ia	Wezen
39	1.85	η UMa	Benetnasch, Alkaid	100	B3 V	Benetnasch (Alkaid)
40	1.86	θ Sco	Sargas	270	F1 II	Sargas
41	1.86	ε Car	Avior	630	K3 III, B2 Vp	Avior
42	1.90	γ Gem	Alhena	100	A0 IV	Alhena
43	1.91	α Pav	Peacock	180	B2 IV	Peacock
44	1.92	α TrA	Atria	420	K2 IIb-IIIa	Atria
45	1.96	δ Vel	Koo She	80	A1 V, F2-F5	Delta Velorum
46	1.97 var	α UMi	Polaris	430	F7 Ib-II	Polaris
47	1.98	β CMa	Mirzam	500	B1 II-III	Murzim
48	1.98	α Hya	Alphard	180	K3 II-III	Alphard
49	2.00	α Ari	Hamal	66	K2IIICa-1	Hamal
50	2.01	γ1 Leo	Algieba	130	K0 IIIb, G7 IIICN	Algieba
51	2.04	β Cet	Deneb Kaitos, Diphda	96	K0 III	Deneb Kaitos
52	2.05	κ Ori	Saiph	720	B0.5Iavar	Saiph
53	2.06	σ Sgr	Nunki, Sadira	220	B2.5 V	Nunki
54	2.06	θ Cen	Menkent	61	K0IIIb	Menkent
55	2.06	α And	Alpheratz, Sirrah	97	B8IV	Alpheratz
56	2.06	β And	Mirach	200	M0III	Mirach
57	2.08	β UMi	Kochab	130	K4 III	Kochab
58	2.10	α Oph	Rasalhague	47	A5V	Ras Alhague
59	2.12 var	β Per	Algol	93	B8V	Algol
60	2.13	β Gru	Gruid	170	M5 III	Beta Gruis
61	2.14	β Leo	Denebola	36	A3 V	Denebola
62	2.15	γ And	Almach	350	K3IIb, B9.5V	Almach
63	2.17	γ Cen	Muhlifain	130	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	75	A0V, G5V	Alphecca
66	2.23	λ Vel	Suhail	570	K4.5 Ib-II	Lambda Velorum
67	2.23	γ Dra	Eltanin	150	K5 III	Etamin
68	2.23	ζ1 UMa	Mizar	78	A2 V	Mizar A
69	2.23	δ Ori	Mintaka	900	O9.5 II, B0.5III	Mintaka
70	2.24	γ Cyg	Sadr	1,500	F8 Ib	Sadr
71	2.25	α Cas	Schedar	230	K0 IIIa	Schedar
72	2.25	ι Car	Aspidiske, Turais	690	A8 Ib	Aspidiske
73	2.27	β Cas	Caph	54	F2 III-IV	Caph
74	2.27	ε Cen	Birdun	380	B1III	Epsilon Centauri
75	2.28	α Lup	Men, Kakkab	550	B1.5 II	Alpha Lupi
76	2.29	δ Sco	Dschubba	400	B0.2 IV	Dschubba
77	2.29	ε Sco	Wei	65	K2 IIIb	Wei
78	2.32	η Cen	Marfikent	310	B1.5Vne	Eta Centauri
79	2.35	β UMa	Merak	79	A1V	Merak
80	2.37	α Phe	Ankaa, Nair al Zaurak	77	K0 III	Ankaa
81	2.38	κ Sco	Girtab	460	B1.5 III	Girtab
82	2.39	γ Cas	Tsih, Navi	610	B0.5 IVe	Gamma Cassiopeiae
83	2.40	ε Peg	Enif	670	K2 Ib	Enif
84	2.40	η CMa	Aludra	3,200	B5 Ia	Aludra
85	2.42	β Peg	Scheat	200	M2.3 II-III	Scheat
86	2.43	γ UMa	Phecda	84	A0Ve SB	Phecda
87	2.43	η Oph	Sabik	49	A1 V, A3 V	Sabik
88	2.44	α Cep	Alderamin	49	A7 IV	Alderamin
89	2.46	κ Vel	Markeb	540	B2 IV-V	Kappa Velorum
90	2.49	α Peg	Markab	140	B9 III	Markab
91	2.50	ε Cyg	Gienah	72	K0 II	Gienah