Which star has the greatest actual brightness?
Category:
science
space and astronomy
To astronomers, the word luminous refers to a star's intrinsic brightness. Sirius, in the constellation Canis Major the Greater Dog, looks extraordinarily bright in Earth's sky. It's our sky's brightest star. But its brightness stems primarily from the fact that it's only 8.6 light-years away.
Consequently, which star has the greatest brightness?
The Brightest Stars, as Seen from the Earth
Common Name | Scientific Name | Apparent Magnitude |
---|---|---|
Sun | -26.72 | |
Sirius | Alpha CMa | -1.46 |
Canopus | Alpha Car | -0.72 |
Rigil Kentaurus | Alpha Cen | -0.27 |
Also to know is, what are the top 10 brightest stars and their magnitude?
Here is the list of the top 10 brightest stars you can see in our nighttime sky.
- 1 – Sirius. (Alpha Canis Majoris)
- 2 – Canopus. (Alpha Carinae)
- 3 – Rigil Kentaurus (Alpha Centauri)
- 4 – Arcturus.
- 5 – Vega.
- 7 – Rigel.
- 8 – Procyon.
- 9 – Achernar.
White Dwarf is the name given to a type of star much smaller than ordinary stars and with a small brightness compared to the others.