The brightest stars in the sky
Star brightness is measured in magnitudes: the smaller the number, the brighter the star. Sirius, the brightest, is −1.46; the faintest stars you can see from a dark site are around 6.
| Name | Constellation | mag | light years | Colour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sirius | Great Dog | -1.46 | 9 | white |
| Canopus | Keel | -0.74 | 310 | white |
| Alpha Centauri | Centaur | -0.27 | 4 | yellow |
| Arcturus | Herdsman | -0.05 | 37 | orange |
| Vega | Lyre | 0.03 | 25 | white |
| Capella | Charioteer | 0.08 | 43 | yellow |
| Rigel | Orion | 0.13 | 860 | blue-white |
| Procyon | Little Dog | 0.34 | 12 | yellow-white |
| Achernar | River Eridanus | 0.46 | 139 | blue-white |
| Betelgeuse | Orion | 0.50 | 550 | red |
| Altair | Eagle | 0.76 | 17 | white |
| Acrux | Southern Cross | 0.76 | 320 | blue-white |
| Aldebaran | Bull | 0.86 | 65 | orange |
| Antares | Scorpion | 0.96 | 550 | red |
| Spica | Maiden | 0.97 | 250 | blue-white |
| Pollux | Twins | 1.14 | 34 | orange |
| Fomalhaut | Southern Fish | 1.16 | 25 | white |
| Deneb | Swan | 1.25 | 2,600 | white |
| Regulus | Lion | 1.35 | 79 | blue-white |
| Castor | Twins | 1.58 | 51 | white |
| Bellatrix | Orion | 1.64 | 250 | blue-white |
| Alnilam | Orion | 1.69 | 1,200 | blue-white |
| Alioth | Great Bear | 1.77 | 81 | white |
| Dubhe | Great Bear | 1.79 | 123 | orange |
| Mirfak | Perseus | 1.79 | 510 | yellow-white |
| Polaris | Little Bear | 1.98 | 433 | yellow-white |
| Algol | Perseus | 2.10 | 90 | blue-white |
| Mizar | Great Bear | 2.23 | 83 | white |
| Mira | Whale | 3.00 | 300 | red |
| Thuban | Dragon | 3.65 | 300 | white |