The following list contains the 100 brightest stars as seen from the earth at night. The information on magnitudes is taken from data obtained by the Hipparcos Satellite Catalog. Distance measurements are from the Observer's Handbook 2001, by The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.
Common Name
Astronomical Name
Meaning
Apparent Magnitude
Absolute Magnitude
Distance (light-years)
1
 Sirius Alpha Canis Majoris
Greek: "scorching"
-1.44
1.45
9
2
 Canopus Alpha Carinae
Greek: pilot of the ship Argo
-0.62
-5.53
313
3
 Arcturus Alpha Bootis
Greek: "guardian of the bear"
-0.05
-0.31
37
4
 Rigel Kentaurus Alpha Centauri
Arabic: "foot of the centaur"
-0.01
4.34
4
5
 Vega Alpha Lyrae
Arabic: eagle or vulture
0.03
0.58
25
6
 Capella Alpha Aurigae
Latin: "little she-goat"
0.08
-0.48
42
7
 Rigel Beta Orionis
Arabic: "foot"
0.18
-6.69
773
8
 Procyon Alpha Canis Minoris
Greek: "before the dog"
0.40
2.68
11
9
 Betelgeuse Alpha Orionis
Arabic: "armpit of the great one"
0.45
-5.14
522
10
 Achernar Alpha Eridani
Arabic: "river's end"
0.45
-2.77
144
11
 Hadar (Agena) Beta Centauri
Arabic: "ground" (Latin: "knee")
0.61
-5.42
526
12
 Altair Alpha Aquilae
Arabic: "the eagle"
0.76
2.20
17
13
 Acrux Alpha Crucis
Greek: comb. of alpha crux
0.77
-4.19
321
14
 Aldebaran Alpha Tauri
Arabic: "the follower"
0.87
-0.63
65
15
 Spica Alpha Virginis
Latin: ear of wheat
0.98
-3.55
262
16
 Antares Alpha Scorpii
Greek: rival of Mars
1.06
-5.28
604
17
 Pollux Beta Geminorum
Greek: immortal Gemini twin brother
1.16
1.09
34
18
 Formalhaut Alpha Piscis Austrini
Arabic: "the mouth of the fish"
1.17
1.74
25
19
 Deneb Alpha Cygni
Arabic: "tail"
1.25
-8.73
1467
20
 Mimosa Beta Crucis
Latin: "actor"
1.25
-3.92
352
21
 Regulus Alpha Leonis
Greek: "little king"
1.36
-0.52
77
22
 Adhara Epsilon Canis Majoris
Arabic: "the virgins"
1.50
-4.10
431
23
 Castor Alpha Geminorum
Greek: mortal Gemini twin brother
1.58
0.59
52
24
 Gacrux Gamma Crucis
Greek: comb. of gamma and crux
1.59
-0.56
88
25
 Shaula Lambda Scorpii
Arabic: "stinger"
1.62
-5.05
359
26
 Bellatrix Gamma Orionis
Greek: an Amazon warrior
1.64
-2.72
243
27
 Alnath Beta Tauri
Arabic: "the butting one"
1.65
-1.37
131
28
 Miaplacidus Beta Carinae
Arabic/Latin: "peaceful waters"
1.67
-0.99
111
29
 Alnilam Epsilon Orionis
Arabic: "string of pearls"
1.69
-6.38
1342
30
 Alnair Alpha Gruis
Arabic: "the bright one"
1.73
-0.73
101
31
 Alnitak Zeta Orionis
Arabic: "the girdle"
1.74
-5.26
817
32
 Regor Gamma Velorum
unknown
1.75
-5.31
840
33
 Alioth Epsilon Ursae Majoris
Arabic: "the bull"
1.76
-0.21
81
34
 Kaus Australis Epsilon Sagittarii
Arabic/Latin: "southern part of the bow"
1.79
-1.44
145
35
 Mirphak Alpha Persei
Arabic: "elbow"
1.79
-4.50
592
36
 Dubhe Alpha Ursae Majoris
Arabic: "bear"
1.81
-1.08
124
37
 Wezen Delta Canis Majoris
Arabic: "weight"
1.83
-6.87
1791
38
 Alkaid Eta Ursae Majoris
Arabic: chief of the mourners
1.85
-0.60
101
39
 Sargas Theta Scorpii
Sumerian: "scorpion"
1.86
-2.75
272
40
 Avior Epsilon Carinae
unknown
1.86
-4.58
632
41
 Menkalinan Beta Aurigae
Arabic: "shoulder of the rein-holder"
1.90
-0.10
82
42
 Atria Alpha Trianguli Australis
Greek/English: combination of alpha and triangle
1.91
-3.62
415
43
 Delta Velorum Delta Velorum
Bayer designation*
1.93
-0.01
80
44
 Alhena Gamma Geminorum
Arabic: "the mark" on the right side of a camel's neck
1.93
-0.60
105
45
 Peacock Alpha Pavonis
English: Peacock
1.94
-1.81
183
46
 Polaris Alpha Ursae Minoris
Latin: pole star
1.97
-3.64
431
47
 Mirzam Beta Canis Majoris
Arabic: "herald"
1.98
-3.95
499
48
 Alphard Alpha Hydrae
Arabic: "the solitary one"
1.99
-1.69
177
49
 Algieba Gamma Leonis
Arabic: "the forehead"
2.01
-0.92
126
50
 Hamal Alpha Arietis
Arabic: "lamb"
2.01
0.48
66
51

Deneb Kaitos

 Beta Ceti
Arabic/Greek: "tail of the sea monster"
2.04
-0.30
96
52
 Nunki Sigma Sagittarii
ancient Babylonian name
2.05
-2.14
224
53
 Merkent Theta Centauri
Arabic: "in the shoulder of the centaur"
2.06
0.70
61
54
 Saiph Kappa Orionis
Arabic: "sword"
2.07
-4.65
815
55
 Alpheratz Alpha Andromedae
Arabic: "horse's shoulder"
2.07
-0.30
97
56
 Beta Gruis Beta Gruis
Bayer designation*
2.07
-1.52
170
57
 Mirach Beta Andromedae
Arabic: "girdle"
2.07
-1.86
199
58
 Kochab Beta Ursae Minoris
Arabic: unknown meaning
2.07
-0.87
126
59
 Rasalhague Alpha Ophiuchi
Arabic: "head of the serpent-charmer"
2.08
1.30
47
60
 Algol Beta Persei
Arabic: "the demon's head"
2.09
-0.18
93
61
 Almaak Gamma Andromedae
Arabic: type of small, predatory animal in Arabia
2.10
-3.08
355
62
 Denebola Beta Leonis
Arabic: "lion's tail"
2.14
1.92
36
63
 Cih Gamma Cassiopeiae
Chinese: "whip"
2.15
-4.22
613
64
 Muliphain Gamma Centauri
Arabic: "oath"
2.20
-0.81
130
65
 Naos Zeta Puppis
Greek: "ship"
2.21
-5.95
1399
66
 Tureis Iota Carinae
Arabic: an ornament on a ship's stern
2.21
-4.42
694
67
 Alphecca (Gemma) Alpha Coronae Borealis
Arabic: "bright one of the dish" (Latin: gem)
2.22
0.42
75
68
 Suhail Lambda Velorum
Arabic: an honorific title of respect
2.23
-3.99
573
69
 Sadir Gamma Cygni
Arabic: a birds breast
2.23
-6.12
522
70
 Mizar Zeta Ursae Majoris
Arabic: "groin"
2.23
0.33
78
71
 Schedar Alpha Cassiopeiae
Arabic: "beast"
2.24
-1.99
228
72
 Eltanin Gamma Draconis
Arabic: "the dragon's head"
2.24
-1.04
148
73
 Mintaka Delta Orionis
Arabic: "belt"
2.25
-4.99
916
74
 Caph Beta Cassiopeiae
Arabic: "hand"
2.28
1.17
54
75
 Dschubba Delta Scorpii
Arabic: "forehead"
2.29
-3.16
522
76
 Hao Epsilon Scorpii
Chinese: "queen"
2.29
0.78
65
77
 Epsilon Centauri Epsilon Centauri
Bayer designation*
2.29
-3.02
376
78
 Alpha Lupi Alpha Lupi
Bayer designation*
2.30
-3.83
548
79
 Eta Centauri Eta Centauri
Bayer designation*
2.33
-2.55
308
80
 Merak Beta Ursae Majoris
Arabic: "flank"
2.34
0.41
79
81
 Izar Epsilon Bootis
Arabic: "girdle"
2.35
-1.69
210
82
 Enif Epsilon Pegasi
Arabic: "nose"
2.38
-4.19
672
83
 Kappa Scorpii Kappa Scorpii
Bayer designation*
2.39
-3.38
464
84
 Ankaa Alpha Phoenicis
Arabic: name of a legendary bird
2.40
0.52
77
85
 Phecda Gamma Ursae Majoris
Arabic: "thigh"
2.41
0.36
84
86
 Sabik Eta Ophiuchi
Arabic: unknown meaning
2.43
0.37
84
87
 Scheat Beta Pegasi
Arabic: "shin"
2.44
-1.49
199
88
 Alderamin Alpha Cephei
Arabic: "the right arm"
2.45
1.58
49
89
 Aludra Eta Canis Majoris
Arabic: "virginity"
2.45
-7.51
3196
90
 Kappa Velorum Kappa Velorum
Bayer designation*
2.47
-3.62
539
91
 Gienah Epsilon Cygni
Arabic: "wing"
2.48
0.76
72
92
 Markab Alpha Pegasi
Arabic: saddle
2.49
-0.67
140
93
 Han Zeta Ophiuchi
Chinese: an ancient feudal state in China
2.54
-3.20
458
94
 Menkar Alpha Ceti
Arabic: "nose"
2.54
-1.61
220
95
 Alnair Zeta Centauri
Arabic: "the bright one"
2.55
-2.81
384
96
 Graffias Beta Scorpii
Arabic(?): claws
2.56
-3.50
530
97
 Zosma Delta Leonis
Greek: "girdle"
2.56
1.32
58
98
 Ma Wei Delta Centauri
Chinese: "the horse's tail"
2.58
-2.84
395
99
 Arneb Alpha Leporis
Arabic: "hare"
2.58
-5.40
1283
100
 Gienah Ghurab Gamma Corvi
Arabic: "right wing of the raven"
2.58
-0.94
165
* Bayer designation: names given to stars by astronomer Johanne Bayer in his 1603 star atlas Uranometria. The designations consist of a Greek letter followed by the genitive (possessive) form of the constellation name that the star is found in. They were generally named starting with the brightest star and continuing to the dimmest of any given constellation.