| Star | Spectral Type | Absolute Magnitude | Apparent Magnitude | Distance from Earth (light-years) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Sun | +4.8 | -26.72 | . | |
| Sirius (in Canis Major) | A1 V | +1.4 | -1.46 | 8.6 |
| Canopus (in Carina) | F0 II | -2.5 | -0.72 | 74 |
| Rigel Kentaurus (Alpha Centauri) (in Centaurus) | G2 V | +4.4 | -0.27 | 4.3 |
| Arcturus (in Boötes) | K1.5 III | +0.2 | -0.04 | 34 |
| Vega (in Lyra) | A0 V | +0.6 | 0.03 | 25 |
| Capella (in Auriga) | G5 III | +0.4 | +0.08 | 41 |
| Rigel (in Orion) | B8 Ia | -8.1 | +0.12 | 900 |
| Procyon (in Canis Minor) | F5 IV-V | 2.8 | +0.38 | 11 |
| Archenar (in Eridanus) | B3 V | -1.3 | +0.46 | 75 |
| Betelgeuse (in Orion) | M1 Ia | -7.2 | +0.50 | 1,500 |
| Hadar (in Centaurus) | B1 III | -4.3 | +0.61 | 300 |
| Altair (in Aquila) | A7 V | +2.3 | +0.77 | 17 |
| Acrux (in Crux) | B4 IV | -3.8 | +0.79 | 270 |
| Aldebaran (in Taurus) | K5 III | -0.2 | +0.85 | 65 |
| Antares (in Scorpius) | M1.5Iab-Ib+B4Ve | -4.5 | +0.96 | 400 |
| Deneb (in Cygnus) | A2 Ia | -7.2 | +1.25 | 1,500 |
| Proxima Centauri (in Centaurus) | M5e | +15.5 | +11.05 (var.) | 4.3 |
Apparent magnitude is a measure of the brightness of a celestial object as seen from Earth. The lower the number, the brighter the object. Negative numbers indicate extreme brightness. The full moon has an apparent magnitude of -12.6; the sun's is -26.8. We can see objects up to 6th magnitude without a telescope. Apparent magnitude is abbreviated m. This system of rating the brightness of celestial objects was developed by the Greek astronomer Hipparchus in 120 B.C.
Absolute magnitude is a measure of the inherent brightness of a celestial object. This scale is defined as the apparent magnitude a star would have if it were seen from a distance of 32.6 light-years (10 parsecs). The lower the number, the brighter the object. Negative numbers indicate extreme brightness.
Information on this page was obtained from the following website:
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/stars/bright.shtml