Table : APPENDIX G THE VISUALLY BRIGHTEST STARS

Name

Designation

Distance (ly)

Spectral type

Radial velocity* (km/s)

Proper motion (arcsec/year)

Apparent visual magnitude

Apparent visual brightness** (Sirius = 1)

Absolute visual magnitude

Luminosity (Sun = 1)

Sirius A

α CMa A

    8.61

A1 V

  −9

1.339

−1.43

1.000

+1.47

26.1

Canopus

α Car

313    

F0 I

+21

0.031

−0.62

0.470

−5.53

1.4 × 104

Arcturus

α Boo

36.7

K2 III

  −5

2.279

−0.05

0.278

−0.31

190

Rigil Kentaurus

α Cen A

  4.4

G2 V

−25

3.71  

−0.01

0.268

+4.38

1.77

Vega

α Lyr

25.3

A0 V

−14

0.035

+0.03

0.258

+0.58

61.9

Capella

α Aur

42.2

G8 III

+30

0.434

+0.08

0.247

−0.48

180

Rigel

β Ori A

773    

B8 Ia

+21

0.002

+0.18

0.225

−6.69

7.0 × 105

Procyon

α CMi A

11.4

F5 IV-V

  −4

1.259

+0.38

0.184

+2.66

7.73

Achernar

α Eri

144    

B3 IV

+19

0.097

+0.45

0.175

−2.77

5250

Betelgeuse

α Ori

427    

M2 Iab

+21

0.029

+0.45

0.175

−5.14

4.1 × 104

Hadar

β Cen

525    

B1 II

−12

0.042

+0.61

0.151

−5.42

8.6 × 104

Altair

α Aql

16.8

A7 IV-V

−26

0.661

+0.77

0.132

+2.2

11.8

Aldebaran

α Tau A

65.1

K5 III

+54

0.199

+0.87

0.119

−0.63

370

Spica

α Vir

262    

B1 V

  +1

0.053

+0.98

0.108

−3.55

2.5 × 104

Antares

α Sco A

604    

M1 Ib

  −3

0.025

+1.06

0.100

−5.28

3.7 × 104

Pollux

β Gem

33.7

K0 III

  +3

0.627

+1.16

0.091

+1.09

46.6

Fomalhaut

α PsA

25.1

A3 V

  +7

0.368

+1.17

0.090

+1.74

18.9

Deneb

α Cyg

3230      

A2 Ia

  −5

0.002

+1.25

0.084

−8.73

3.2 × 105

Mimosa

β Cru

353    

B0.5 III

+20

0.05  

+1.25

0.084

−3.92

3.4 × 104

Regulus

α Leo A

77.5

B7 V

  +4

0.249

+1.36

0.076

−0.52

331