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Brightest Stars as Seen From Earth
Star

Stellar
Classification

apparent
visual
magnitude

absolute
visual
magnitude

Distance
(ly)


1 Sirius A (a CMa A) A1 V -1.44 1.45 8.61
2 Canopus (a Car) F0 Ib -0.62 -5.53 313
3 Arcturus (a Boo) K2 III -0.05 -0.31 36.7
4 Rigil Centaurus (a Cen A) G2 V -0.01 4.34 4.4
5 Vega (a Lyr) A0 V 0.03 0.58 25.3
6 Capella (a Aur) G8 III 0.08 -0.48 42.2
7 Rigel (b Ori A) B8 Ia 0.18 -6.69 773
8 Procyon (a CMi A) F5 IV-V 0.4 2.7 11.4
9 Achernar (a Eri) B3 IV 0.45 -2.77 144
10 Betelgeuse (a Ori) M2 Ia-b 0.45 -5.14 427
11 Hadar (b Cen AB) B1 II 0.61 -5.42 525
12 Altair (a Aql) A7 IV-V 0.76 2.2 16.8
13 Aldebaran (a Tau A) K5 III 0.87 -0.63 65.1
14 Acrux (a Cru)* B1 IV 0.87 -3.5 260
15 Spica (a Vir) B1 V 0.98 -3.55 262
16 Antares (a Sco A) M1 Ib 1.06 -5.28 604
17 Pollux (b Gem) K0 III 1.16 1.09 33.7
18 Formalhaut (a PsA) A3 V 1.17 1.74 25.1
19 Deneb (a Cyg) A2 Ia 1.25 -8.73 3230
20 Becrux (b Crus) B0.5 III 1.25 -3.92 353
21 Regulus (a Leo A) B7 V 1.36 -0.52 77.5
22 Adhara (e CMa) B2 II 1.50 -4.8 430.9
23 Castor (a Gem)** A1V-A2V 1.58 0.5 51.6
24 Gacrux (g Cru) M3.5 III 1.59 (var) -1.2 87.9
25 Shaula (l Sco) B1.5 IV 1.62 (var) -3.5 703

*Acrux (a Cru) is actually a binary star system, with components of magnitude 1.4 and 1.9, which appears to the naked eye as a single star with magnitude 0.87.  Acrux is included in this table only because it has historically been included in tables of brightest stars.

**Castor (a Cru) is actually a binary star system, with components of magnitude 1.58 and 1.59, which appears to the naked eye as a single star with magnitude 1.57.  Castor is included in this table only because it has historically been included in tables of brightest stars.

Data compiled from the Hipparcos General Catalog.


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Nearest stars to Earth

Star

Stellar
Classification

apparent
visual
magnitude

absolute
visual
magnitude

Distance
(ly)


Sun G2 V -26.7 4.83 0.0
Proxima Centauri C M5.5 V 11.01 15.45 4.22
a Centauri A G2 V -0.01 4.34 4.40
a Centauri B K0 V 1.35 5.70 4.40
Barnard's Star M4 V 9.54 13.24 5.94
Wolf 359 M6 V 13.45 16.6 7.80
Lalande 21185 M2 V 7.49 10.46 8.32
Luyten 726-8 A M5.5 V 12.41 15.3 8.56
Luyten 726-8 B (=UV Ceti) M6 V 13.2 16.1 8.56
Sirius A A1 V -1.44 1.45 8.61
Sirius B A5 wd 8.44 11.3 8.61
Ross 154 M3.5 V 10.37 13.00 9.71
Ross 248 M5.5 V 12.29 14.8 10.32
e Eridani K2 V 3.72 6.18 10.49
Lacaille 9352 M1.5 V 7.35 9.76 10.73
Ross 128 M4 V 11.12 13.50 10.87
Luyten 789-6 M5 V 12.33 14.7 11.09
61 Cygni A K5 V 5.20 7.49 11.36
61 Cygni B K7 V 6.05 8.33 11.44
Procyon A F5 IV-V 0.40 2.68 11.40
Procyon B F5 wd 10.7 13.0 11.40
S 2398 A M3 V 8.94 11.18 11.61
S 2398 B M3.5 V 9.70 11.97 11.61
Groombridge 34 A M1 V 8.09 10.33 11.65
Groombridge 34 B M6 V 11.07 13.29 11.65
e Indi K5 V 4.69 6.89 11.82
GJ 1111 M6.5 V 14.79 17.0 11.82
t Ceti G8 V 3.49 5.68 11.90
GJ 1061 M5.5 V 13.03 15.2 12.08
L 725-32 M4.5 V 12.10 14.25 12.12
BD +5° 1668 M3.5 V 9.84 11.94 12.40
Kapteyn's Star M0 V 8.86 10.89 12.79
Lacaille 8760 M0 V 6.69 8.71 12.89
Krüger 60 A M3 V 9.85 11.87 13.05
Krüger 60 B M4 V 11.3 13.3 13.05

Data compiled from the Hipparcos General Catalog.
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