The 20 brightest stars

name visual magnitude¹ and spectral type distance in light-years² visual luminosity relative to the Sun

A³ B³ A³ B³

Sirius –1.44 A1 V 8.44 DA 2 8.6 20.2 0.00226

Canopus –0.73 F0 Ib 312 1,390

Arcturus –0.05 K1.5 III 36.7 102.5

Alpha Centauri 0.00 G2 V 1.35 K1 V 4.4 1.41 0.405

Vega 0.03 A0 V 25.3 45.2

Capella 0.08⁴ G6 III 1.1 G2 III 42.2 120 46.9

Rigel 0.18 B8 Ia 7.6 B5 773 36,800 39.6

Procyon 0.40 F5 IV-V 10.70 DZ 11.4 6.54 0.00072

Achernar 0.45 B3 Vp 144 993

Betelgeuse 0.45 (var.) M2 lab 427 8,770

Beta Centauri 0.58 B1 III 3.8 B2 (uncertain) 526 1180 607

Altair 0.76 A7 V 16.8 10.1

Aldebaran 0.87 K5 III 13 M2 V 65.1 138 0.00194

Spica 0.98 B1 V 3.1 B3 V 262 2,020 287

Antares 1.06 (var.) M1.5 lab 5.37 B2.5 V 604 9,980 188

Pollux 1.16 K0 III 96.7 234

Fomalhaut 1.17 A3 V 6.49 K4 V 25.1 15.5 0.116

Beta Crucis 1.25 B0.5 III 352 2,860

Deneb 1.25 A2 Ia 3,230 240,000

Alpha Crucis 1.40 B0.5 IV 2.09 B3 V 321 2,250 1,108

¹Negative magnitudes are brightest, and one magnitude difference corresponds to a difference in brightness of 2.5 times; e.g., a star of magnitude –1 is 10 times brighter than one of magnitude 1.5.

²One light-year equals about 9.46 trillion km.

³A and B are brighter and fainter components, respectively, of star. A multiple system is ranked by the brightness of its A component.

⁴Combined magnitudes of A and B.