List of brightest stars

Below are the 52 brightest individual stars in order of their average apparent magnitudes in the visible spectrum as seen from Earth.

To the naked eye on a clear dark night, in a place far from cities and lights, the total number of stars visible is about 9000. This is not the same as a list of the brightest stars as seen with the naked eye, because close binary or multiple star systems will appear as a single star brighter than their individual components. The binary system Alpha Centauri 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.

   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 Cen) Alpha Centauri 0004.4 G2 V/K1 V Alpha Centauri A  4 0.003−0.04 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 Hadar, Agena 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 1,550 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 2.02 β Cet Diphda 0096 K0 III Diphda 52 2.04 ζ UMa Mizar  0083 A2 Vp, A2 Vp, Am 53 Mizar

 References 

Category:Lists of stars