The 50 Brightest Stars Cosmobrain Bright Star Catalog

Friday, September 29, 2006, 19:58 h U.T.

Julian Date: 54007.83229 d U.T.

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The 50 Brightest Stars :

Here we present our Bright Star Catalog. It is intended for use as a source of some basic astronomical and astrophysical data for the 50 brightest stars visible from Earth. For each star, this table contains the proper name, Bayer and/or Flamsteed name, visual apparent magnitude, distance in light years, accuracy of the distance in per cent, absolute magnitude, spectral types, equatorial coordinates for J2000.0 and Hipparcos catalog number. Stars are listed in the order of decreasing visual magnitude.

RIGHT : Image of Sirius taken in X-Ray light. Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky, visible in the constellation of the Big Dog. In 1862 Sirius was discovered to be a binary star system, with a companion star. The main star, called Sirius A, is the one you see in the sky. Sirius A is about 23 times the luminosity of our Sun and 2.1 times the mass. Its companion, called Sirius B is much fainter and was the first white dwarf star discovered. Sirius B has a mass equal to that of the Sun, but its diameter is 40 to 50 times smaller. At a distance of only 8.7 light years, Sirius is the 5th nearest star system known.

Image of Sirius taken in X-ray light ( ROSAT / MPE / NASA ).

Image of Sirius in X-Ray light.

Brightest Stars

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Field List
Field	Description	Units
Name	proper name
Ident.	Bayer/Flamsteed identification
Const.	constellation	abbreviation - click here
V. Mag.	apparent visual magnitude ( Johnson )	mag
Dist.	distance in light years	l.y. ( light years )
Prec.	precision of the distance	%
A. Mag.	absolute visual magnitude M(V)	mag
Spec. Type	spectral type
RA	right ascension ( J2000.0 )	hh mm ss.d
DEC	declination ( J2000.0 )	gg mm ss
Hip	Hipparcos catalog number

#	Name	Ident.	Const.	V Mag	Dist.	Prec	A. Mag.	Spec. Type	RA J2000.0	DEC J2000	HIP	#
1	Sirius	9Alpha	CMa	-1.46	8.6	0.4	1.43	A1Vm	06 45 08.9	-16 42 58	32349	1
2	Canopus	Alpha	Car	-0.72	312.6	5.1	-5.63	F0II	06 23 57.1	-52 41 45	30438	2
3	Arcturus	16Alpha	Boo	-0.04	36.7	0.8	-0.30	K1.5IIIFe-0.5	14 15 39.7	+19 10 57	69673	3
4	Rigil Kentaurus	Alpha1	Cen	-0.01	4.4	0.2	4.34	G2V	14 39 35.9	-60 50 07	71683	4
5	Vega	3Alpha	Lyr	0.03	25.3	0.4	0.58	A0Va	18 36 56.3	+38 47 01	91262	5
6	Capella	13Alpha	Aur	0.08	42.2	1.2	-0.48	G5IIIe+G0III	05 16 41.4	+45 59 53	24608	6
7	Rigel	19Beta	Ori	0.12	772.5	19.2	-6.75	B8Ia:	05 14 32.3	-08 12 06	24436	7
8	Procyon	10Alpha	CMi	0.38	11.4	0.3	2.66	F5IV-V	07 39 18.1	+05 13 30	37279	8
9	Achernar	Alpha	Eri	0.46	143.7	2.5	-2.76	B3Vpe	01 37 42.9	-57 14 12	7588	9
10	Betelgeuse	58Alpha	Ori	0.50	427.3	21.5	-5.09	M1-2Ia-Iab	05 55 10.3	+07 24 25	27989	10
11	Hadar	Beta	Cen	0.61	525	9	-5.42	B1III	14 03 49.4	-60 22 23	68702	11
12	Altair	53Alpha	Aql	0.77	16.8	0.5	2.21	A7V	19 50 47.0	+08 52 06	97649	12
13	Aldebaran	87Alpha	Tau	0.85	65.1	1.9	-0.65	K5+III	04 35 55.2	+16 30 33	21421	13
14	Antares	21Alpha	Sco	0.96	603.7	31.1	-5.38	M1Ib + B2.5V	16 29 24.4	-26 25 55	80763	14
15	Spica	67Alpha	Vir	0.98	262.1	6.9	-3.55	B1III-IV+B2V	13 25 11.6	-11 09 41	65474	15
16	Pollux	78Beta	Gem	1.14	33.7	0.9	1.07	K0IIIb	07 45 18.9	+28 01 34	37826	16
17	Fomalhaut	24Alpha	PsA	1.16	25.1	0.7	1.73	A3V	22 57 39.1	-29 37 20	113368	17
18	Mimosa	Beta	Cru	1.25	352.4	6.6	-3.92	B0.5III	12 47 43.2	-59 41 19	62434	18
19	Deneb	50Alpha	Cyg	1.25	3227.7	56.4	-8.73	A2Ia	20 41 25.9	+45 16 49	102098	19
20	Acrux	Alpha1	Cru	1.33	320.6	6.6	-3.63	B0.5IV	12 26 35.9	-63 05 57	60718	20
21	Regulus	32Alpha	Leo	1.35	77.5	1.9	-0.53	B7V	10 08 22.3	+11 58 02	49669	21
22	Adhara	21Epsilon	CMa	1.50	430.6	7.5	-4.10	B2II	06 58 37.5	-28 58 20	33579	22
23	Gacrux	Gama	Cru	1.63	87.9	1.8	-0.52	M3.5III	12 31 09.9	-57 06 48	61084	23
24	Shaula	35Lambda	Sco	1.63	702.6	19.4	-5.04	B2IV+B	17 33 36.5	-37 06 14	85927	24
25	Bellatrix	24Gama	Ori	1.64	242.9	7.3	-2.72	B2III	05 25 07.9	+06 20 59	25336	25
#	Name	Ident.	Const.	V Mag	Dist.	Prec	A. Mag.	Spec. Type	RA J2000.0	DEC J2000	HIP	#
26	El Nath	112Beta	Tau	1.65	131	3.5	-1.37	B7III	05 26 17.5	+28 36 27	25428	26
27	Miaplacidus	Beta	Car	1.68	111.1	1.6	-0.98	A2IV	09 13 12.0	-69 43 02	45238	27
28	Alnilan	46Epsilon	Ori	1.70	1341.6	37.4	-6.37	B0Ia	05 36 12.8	-01 12 07	26311	28
29	Al Na'ir	Alpha	Gru	1.74	101.4	2.5	-0.72	B7IV	22 08 14.0	-46 57 40	109268	29
30	Alioth	77Epsilon	UMa	1.77	80.9	1.5	-0.20	A0pCr	12 54 01.7	+55 57 35	62956	30
31		Gama2	Vel	1.78	840.2	13.7	-5.28	WC8+O9I	08 09 32.0	-47 20 12	39953	31
32	Mirfak	33Alpha	Per	1.79	591.7	12	-4.50	F5Ib	03 24 19.4	+49 51 40	15863	32
33	Dubhe	50Alpha	UMa	1.79	123.6	2	-1.10	K0IIIa	11 03 43.7	+61 45 03	54061	33
34	Wezen	25Delta	CMa	1.84	1791.2	30.8	-6.86	F8Ia	07 08 23.5	-26 23 36	34444	34
35	Kaus Australis	20Epsilon	Sgr	1.85	144.6	4.5	-1.38	B9.5III	18 24 10.3	-34 23 05	90185	35
36	Avior	Epsilon	Car	1.86	631.8	9.5	-4.58	K3III+B2:V	08 22 30.8	-59 30 35	41037	36
37	Alkaid	85Eta	UMa	1.86	100.6	2.3	-0.59	B3V	13 47 32.4	+49 18 48	67301	37
38	Sargas	Theta	Sco	1.87	271.9	7	-2.74	F1II	17 37 19.2	-42 59 52	86228	38
39	Menkaliman	34Beta	Aur	1.90	82.1	2	-0.10	A2IV	05 59 31.7	+44 56 51	28360	39
40	Atria	Alpha	TrA	1.92	415.3	8	-3.61	K2IIb-IIIa	16 48 39.9	-69 01 40	82273	40
41	Alhena	24Gama	Gem	1.93	104.8	7.5	-0.60	A0IV	06 37 42.7	+16 23 57	31681	41
42	Peacock	Alpha	Pav	1.94	183.1	3.9	-1.81	B2IV	20 25 38.9	-56 44 06	100751	42
43		Delta	Vel	1.96	79.7	0.9	0.02	A1V	08 44 42.2	-54 42 30	42913	43
44	Mirzam	2Beta	CMa	1.98	499.2	10.1	-3.95	B1II-III	06 22 42.0	-17 57 21	30324	44
45	Castor	66Alpha	Gem	1.98	51.5	1.9	0.99	A1V	07 34 36.0	+31 53 18	36850	45
46	Alphard	30Alpha	Hya	1.98	177.2	4.2	-1.70	K3II-III	09 27 35.2	-08 39 31	46390	46
47	Hamal	13Alpha	Ari	2.00	65.9	2	0.47	K2-IIICa-1	02 07 10.4	+23 27 45	9884	47
48	Polaris	1Alpha	UMi	2.02	431.2	6.3	-3.59	F7:Ib-II	02 31 48.7	+89 15 51	11767	48
49	Nunki	34Sigma	Sgr	2.02	224.2	6.1	-2.17	B2.5V	18 55 15.9	-26 17 48	92855	49
50	Deneb Kaitos	16Beta	Cet	2.04	95.8	2.4	-0.30	K0III	00 43 35.2	+52 59 12	3419	50
#	Name	Ident.	Const.	V Mag	Dist.	Prec	A. Mag.	Spec. Type	RA J2000.0	DEC J2000	HIP	#
© Cosmobrain Astronomy - All Rights Reserved.

Brightest Stars Catalog by : Eduardo Soares

References :
===================================================
The Bright Star Catalogue, 5th Revised Ed. (Preliminary Version)
Hoffleit E.D., Warren Jr. W.H.
Yale University(1991)
===================================================
The Hipparcos and Tycho Catalogues
European Space Agency
(ESA 1997)
===================================================

Special Thanks :

- Karen O'Flaherty ( European Space Agency )
- Michael Perryman ( European Space Agency )
- François Ochsenbein ( Observatoire Astronomique de Strasbourg )

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