Posted on 06/11/2025 4:57:59 PM PDT by MtnClimber
| Star Name | Size (Solar Radii) | Brightness (Apparent Magnitude) | Distance (Light-Years) | Absolute Magnitude | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Achernar | ~7 | 0.46 | 69 | -1.3 | Fastest spinning star visible |
| Acrux | ~10 | 0.76 | 510 | -4.6 | Brightest star in the Southern Cross |
| Adhara | ~10 | 1.50 | 570 | -4.8 | Much brighter than it appears |
| Aldebaran | ~44 | 0.85 | 60 | -0.3 | Brightest star in Taurus |
| Alpha Centauri | ~1.2 | -0.27 | 4.3 | 4.4 | Closest star system to Earth |
| Antares | ~680 | 0.96 | 520 | -5.2 | Huge red supergiant |
| Arcturus | ~25 | -0.04 | 34 | 0.2 | Brightest K-type giant visible |
| Betelgeuse | ~700 | 0.50 | 640 | -7.2 | Largest star in this list |
| Canopus | ~71 | -0.72 | 310 | -5.5 | Second-brightest star in the sky |
| Capella | ~12 | 0.08 | 42 | 0.4 | Binary system of giant stars |
| Castor | ~3.3 | 1.57 | 49 | 0.5 | Multi-star system, six components |
| Deneb | ~200 | 1.25 | 2,600 | -7.2 | Farthest star in this list |
| Fomalhaut | ~1.8 | 1.16 | 25 | 2.0 | Surrounded by a dusty debris disk |
| Hadar | ~8 | 0.61 | 320 | -4.4 | Part of a triple star system |
| Pollux | ~9 | 1.14 | 34 | 0.7 | Largest star in Gemini |
| Procyon | ~2 | 0.38 | 11.4 | 2.6 | Has a faint white dwarf companion |
| Regulus | ~3.8 | 1.35 | 79 | -0.3 | Rapidly spinning, flattened shape |
| Rigel | ~78 | 0.12 | 860 | -8.1 | Brightest star by absolute magnitude |
| Shaula | ~6 | 1.63 | 330 | -3.5 | Part of a multi-star system |
| Sirius | ~1.7 | -1.46 | 8.6 | 1.4 | Brightest star by apparent magnitude |
| Spica | ~7.8 | 0.98 | 250 | -3.2 | Binary system with intense radiation |
| Vega | ~2.4 | 0.03 | 25 | 0.6 | Standard reference for brightness calibration |
| Zeta Puppis | ~20 | 2.21 | 1,080 | -4.7 | Exceptionally hot and massive |
Ouch!@ I hope you could still have kids.
Altair, Vega and Deneb make up the Summer Triangle. Inside of which and overlapping is the Northern Cross aka Cygnus the Swan.
It doesn’t look it in the photo collage but Vega is definitely blue in the real night sky. It is directly overhead in the Northern Hemisphere during Summer. It is a star in Lyra, the Harp. Definitely blue unlike white as in the collage.
The blue stars are young and hot, and the reddish stars are older and cooler.
Betelgeuse is a red supergiant witch is 10-20 times larger than our sun.
“Once in a while I try my hand at moon photography. A little success.”
Just got up and snapped a photo of the current full moon — apparently it’s the lowest (to the horizon) for the next 20 years or so...
Thanks for the post MtnClimber.
Yes. These “first magnitude” stars have been used by mariners for thousands of years.
Srednik once had a shipmate who was an amateur astronomer who taught him the names of the main “navigation” stars. In evening and morning twilight, using a sextant, the mariner can measure the altitude (angle of star above the horizon) because both the star and the horizon are visible. Each star will yield an “LOP-line of position” and where these LOP’s cross, “BINGO!” you have the position of your ship at the (adjusted for each observation) time of your sextant work.
For further details, see Psalm 8 and revel in the joy of God’s creative genius.
LOL! Cute.
No photos last night. Rain. Clouds. :(
My B-52 Navigator told me that, when on training flights, the students would use, for 3 star fixes, Dubhe Denab and Dallas.
“The body is Sirius “. Are you serious?
On a celestial Nav leg he proudly said “I was off by two miles”
I said, “Great, I’ll land two miles short of the runway!”
Ahh, the memories!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.