Historical brightest stars Jocelyn Tomkin's 1998 list of the brightest star in Earth's night sky at each period within the last or next 5 million years Jocelyn Tomkin's 1998 list of the brightest star in Earth's night sky at each period within the last or next 5 million years

| Star | Start_year | End_year | Maximum_year | Maximum_magnitude | Distance_at_maximum_LY | Current_distance | Current_magnitude_ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vega | +210,000 | +480,000 | +290,000 | -0.81 | 17.2 | 25.04 | 0.03 |
| Canopus (fourth time) | +480,000 | +990,000 | +480,000 | -0.40 | 346 | 310 | -0.72 |
| Beta Aurigae | +990,000 | +1,150,000 | +1,190,000 | -0.40 | 28.5 | 82.1 | 1.9 |
| Delta Scuti | +1,150,000 | +1,330,000 | +1,250,000 | -1.84 | 9.2 | 187 | 4.72 |
| Gamma Draconis | +1,330,000 | +2,030,000 | +1,550,000 | -1.39 | 27.7 | 154 | 2.36 |
| Upsilon Librae | +2,030,000 | +2,670,000 | +2,290,000 | -0.46 | 30 | 195 | 3.6 |
| NR Canis Majoris | +2,670,000 | +3,050,000 | +2,870,000 | -0.88 | 14 | 280 | 5.6 |
| Omicron Herculis | +3,050,000 | +3,870,000 | +3,470,000 | -0.63 | 44 | 346 | 3.83 |
| Beta Cygni | +3,870,000 | ... | +4,610,000 | -0.52 | 80 | 390 | 3.18 |