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The Sun is the brightest star as viewed from Earth, at −26.78 mag.The second brightest is Sirius at −1.46 mag. For comparison, the brightest non-stellar objects in the Solar System have maximum brightnesses of:
With an apparent magnitude of −1.46, Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky, almost twice as bright as the second-brightest star, Canopus. [72] From Earth , Sirius always appears dimmer than Jupiter and Venus , and at certain times also dimmer than Mercury and Mars . [ 73 ]
For a list of the brightest stars seen from Earth, see the list of brightest stars. There are three stars with over 1 million L ☉ and visible to the naked eye: WR 22, WR 24 and Eta Carinae. All of these stars are located in the Carina nebula.
Binary star system: Brightest night star −0.74 Canopus: Star −0.29 [7] Alpha Centauri AB Binary star system Part of a triple star system with Proxima Centauri: −0.05 Arcturus: Star Brightest Population II star 0.03 −0.02 Vega: Star 0.08 0.03 [8] Capella: Quadruple star system: Brightest quadruple star system 0.13 0.05 [9] Rigel ...
Located 36.7 light-years from Earth, Arcturus, or Alpha Boötis, is the brightest star in Boötes and the fourth-brightest star in the sky at an apparent magnitude of −0.05; [23] It is also the brightest star north of the celestial equator, just shading out Vega and Capella. [13] [24] Its name comes from the Greek for "bear-keeper".
Sirius is currently the brightest star in Earth's night sky, but it has not always been so. Canopus has persistently been the brightest star over the ages; other stars appear brighter only during relatively temporary periods, during which they are passing the Solar System at a much closer distance than Canopus .
It is designated α Ursae Minoris (Latinized to Alpha Ursae Minoris) and is commonly called the North Star or Pole Star. With an apparent magnitude that fluctuates around 1.98, [3] it is the brightest star in the constellation and is readily visible to the naked eye at night. [15]
seen from Earth Combined magnitude (3rd brightest star in night sky) −0.04: star Arcturus: seen from Earth 4th brightest star to the naked eye [47] −0.01: star Alpha Centauri A: seen from Earth 4th brightest individual star visible telescopically in the night sky +0.03: star Vega: seen from Earth originally chosen as a definition of the ...