Stars - Brightest

Name (systematic name) Magnitude

Sun (Sol) -26.7

Sirius (alpha Canis Majoris) -1.46

Canopus (alpha Carinae) -0.72

Arcturus (alpha Boötis) -0.06

Rigil Kent (alpha Centauri) -0.01

Vega (alpha Lyrae) 0.04

Capella (alpha Aurigae) 0.05

Rigel (beta Orionis) 0.14

Procyon (alpha Canis Minoris 0.37

Betelgeuse (alpha Orionis) 0.41v

Archernar (alpha Eridani) 0.51

Hadar (beta Centauri) 0.63

Altair (alpha Aquilae) 0.77

Aldebaran (alpha Tauri) 0.85

Spica (alpha Virginis) 0.91v

Antares (alpha Scorpii) 0.92v

Pollux (beta Geminorum) 1.16

Fomalhaut (alpha Piscis Austrini) 1.19

Deneb (alpha Cygni) 1.26

Mimosa (beta Crucis) 1.28v

Acrux (alpha Crucis) 1.39

Brightness given in Magnitude. This is a measure of the brightness of a celestial object. The lower the value, the brighter the object. The scale is logarithmic, and a difference of 5 magnitudes means a brightness difference of exactly 100 times. A difference of one magnitude corresponds to a brightness difference of around 2.51 (the fifth root of 100). For Example, the Sun has -26.7, the Full Moon -12.7, Pluto only 14. Limit of human eye is about 6 to 7.