List of brightest stars –

Below are listed the 93 brightest individual stars in order of their average apparent magnitudes.
For comparison, the non-stellar objects in our Solar System with maximum visible magnitudes below +2.50 are the Moon (−12.92), Venus (−4.89), Jupiter (−2.94), Mars (−2.91), Mercury (−2.45), and Saturn (−0.49).
An exact order of the visual brightness of stars is not perfectly defined for the following reasons:

• The brightnesses of all stars were traditionally based on the apparent visual magnitude as perceived by the human eye, from the brightest stars of 1st magnitude to the faintest at 6th magnitude. The invention of the telescope and the discovery of double or binary stars meant that star brightness could be individual (separate) or total (combined).
• More and more accurate instrumental photometry differentiated stellar magnitudes, often changing the order of lists of brighter stars.
• Stellar magnitude is sometimes listed by the apparent brightness of stars as seen to the naked eye as if they were single stars, as it is here. Other examples include Norton’s Star Atlas 18th Edition pg. 136.^[2]
• Other stellar magnitude lists report individual stars, differentiating those in binary stars or double star systems. Often, the differences apply to the ten or hundred brightest stars. For example, the total or combined magnitude of Capella is 0.08, while Capella A and B have magnitudes of 0.76 and 0.91.
• A third kind includes the Sun as first in the magnitude listings, making Sirius 2nd, Canopus 3rd, etc. Some, like this list, place the Sun at zero, as it is not a nighttime star.
• There are sometimes small statistical variations in measured magnitudes; however, for most of the brightest stars, accurate photometry means brightness stays unchanged. These particular stars are sometimes called standard stars, which appear in the Catalogues of Fundamental Stars like the FK4, FK5 or FK6.
• Some stars, like Betelgeuse and Antares, are variable stars, changing their magnitude over days, months or years. (In the table, these are indicated with var.)

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 (α^1,2 Cen)
Rigil Kent, Toliman^{[3][note 1]}
0004.4
G2 V/K1 V
Alpha Centauri
4
0.005−0.04 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 ^[4]
M2 Iab
Betelgeuse
10
0.50
α Eri
Achernar
0140
B3 Vpe
Achernar
11
0.60
β Cen
Agena, Hadar
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
1.04
α Vir
Spica
0260
B1 III-IV, B2 V
Spica
16
1.09 var
α Sco
Antares
0600
M1.5 Iab-b
Antares
17
1.15
β Gem
Pollux
0034
K0 IIIb
Pollux
18
1.16
α PsA
Fomalhaut
0025
A3 V
Fomalhaut
19
1.25
α Cyg
Deneb
2,600
A2 Ia
Deneb
20
1.30
β Cru
Mimosa, Becrux^{[note 1]}
0350
B0.5 IV
Mimosa
21
1.35
α Leo
Regulus
0077
B7 V
Regulus
22
1.51
ε CMa
Adara
0430
B2 Iab
Adara
23
1.58
α Gem
Castor
0052
A1 V, A2 Vm
Castor
24
1.62
λ Sco
Shaula
0700
B1.5-2 IV+
Shaula
25
1.63
γ Cru
Gacrux
0088
M4III
Gacrux
26
1.64
γ Ori
Bellatrix
0240
B2 III
Bellatrix
27
1.68
β Tau
El Nath
0130
B7 III
El Nath
28
1.68
β Car
Miaplacidus
0110
A2 IV
Miaplacidus
29
1.70
ε Ori
Alnilam
1,300
B0 Iab
Alnilam
30
1.70
ζ Ori A
Alnitak
0820
O9 Iab
Alnitak A
31
1.74
α Gru
Alnair
0100
B7 IV
Al Na’ir
32
1.76
ε UMa
Alioth
0081
A0pCr
Alioth
33
1.78
γ² Vel
Suhail, Regor
0840
WC8 + O7.5e
Gamma² Velorum
34
1.79
α UMa
Dubhe
0120
K0 III, F0 V
Dubhe
35
1.80
ε Sgr
Kaus Australis
0140
B9.5 III
Kaus Australis
36
1.82
α Per
Mirfak
0590
F5 Ib
Mirfak
37
1.84
δ CMa
Wezen
1,800
F8 Ia
Wezen
38
1.85
η UMa
Benetnasch, Alkaid
0100
B3 V
Benetnasch (Alkaid)
39
1.86
θ Sco
Sargas
0270
F1 II
Sargas
40
1.86
ε Car
Avior
0630
K3 III, B2 Vp
Avior
41
1.90
γ Gem
Alhena
0100
A0 IV
Alhena
42
1.91
α Pav
Peacock
0180
B2 IV
Peacock
43
1.92
α TrA
Atria
0420
K2 IIb-IIIa
Atria
44
1.96
δ Vel
Koo She
0080
A1 V, F2-F5
Delta Velorum
45
1.97 var
α UMi
Polaris
0430
F7 Ib-II
Polaris
46
1.98
β CMa
Mirzam
0500
B1 II-III
Murzim
47
1.98
α Hya
Alphard
0180
K3 II-III
Alphard
48
2.00
α Ari
Hamal
0066
K2IIICa-1
Hamal
49
2.01
γ¹ Leo
Algieba
0130
K0 IIIb, G7 IIICN
Algieba
50
2.04
β Cet
Deneb Kaitos, Diphda
0096
K0 III
Deneb Kaitos
51
2.05
κ Ori
Saiph
0720
B0.5Iavar
Saiph
52
2.06
σ Sgr
Nunki, Sadira
0220
B2.5 V
Nunki
53
2.06
θ Cen
Menkent
0061
K0IIIb
Menkent
54
2.06
α And
Alpheratz, Sirrah
0097
B8IV
Alpheratz
55
2.06
β And
Mirach
0200
M0III
Mirach
56
2.08
β UMi
Kochab
0130
K4 III
Kochab
57
2.10
α Oph
Rasalhague
0047
A5V
Ras Alhague
58
2.12 var
β Per
Algol
0093
B8V
Algol
59
2.13
β Gru
–
0170
M5 III
Beta Gruis
60
2.14
β Leo
Denebola
0036
A3 V
Denebola
61
2.15
γ And
Almach
0350
K3IIb, B9.5V
Almach
62
2.17
γ Cen
Muhlifain
0130
A1IV, (A0III/A0III)
Muhlifain
64
2.21
ζ Pup
Naos, Suhail Hadar
1,400
O5 Ia
Zeta Puppis
65
2.21
α CrB
Alphecca, Gemma
0075
A0V, G5V
Alphecca
66
2.23
λ Vel
Suhail
0570
K4.5 Ib-II
Lambda Velorum
67
2.23
γ Dra
Eltanin
0150
K5 III
Etamin
68
2.23
ζ¹ UMa
Mizar
0078
A2 V
Mizar A
69
2.23
δ Ori
Mintaka
0900
O9.5 II, B0.5III
Mintaka
70
2.24
γ Cyg
Sadr
1,500
F8 Ib
Sadr
71
2.25
α Cas
Schedar
0230
K0 IIIa
Schedar
72
2.25
ι Car
Aspidiske, Turais
0690
A8 Ib
Aspidiske
73
2.27
β Cas
Caph
0054
F2 III-IV
Caph
74
2.27
ε Cen
–
0380
B1III
Epsilon Centauri
75
2.28
α Lup
Men, Kakkab
0550
B1.5 II
Alpha Lupi
76
2.29
δ Sco
Dschubba
0400
B0.2 IV
Dschubba
77
2.29
ε Sco
Wei
0065
K2 IIIb
Wei
78
2.32
η Cen
Marfikent
0310
B1.5Vne
Eta Centauri
79
2.35
β UMa
Merak
0079
A1V
Merak
80
2.37
α Phe
Ankaa, Nair al Zaurak
0077
K0 III
Ankaa
81
2.38
κ Sco
Girtab
0460
B1.5 III
Girtab
82
2.39
γ Cas
Tsih, Navi
0610
B0.5 IVe
Gamma Cassiopeiae
83
2.39
ε Boo
Izar
0202
A0
Izar
84
2.40
ε Peg
Enif
0670
K2 Ib
Enif
85
2.40
η CMa
Aludra
2,000^[5]
B5 Ia
Aludra
86
2.42
β Peg
Scheat
0200
M2.3 II-III
Scheat
87
2.43
γ UMa
Phecda
0084
A0Ve SB
Phecda
88
2.43
η Oph
Sabik
0049
A1 V, A3 V
Sabik
89
2.44
α Cep
Alderamin
0049
A7 IV
Alderamin
90
2.46
κ Vel
Markeb
0540
B2 IV-V
Kappa Velorum
91
2.49
α Peg
Markab
0140
B9 III
Markab
92
2.50
ε Cyg
Gienah
0072
K0 II
Gienah
93
2.50
β Sco
Acrab
0404
B1V+B2V
Acrab

List of brightest stars – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia