Brightest Stars

Common Name

Astronomical Name

Meaning

Apparent Magnitude

Absolute Magnitude

Distance (light-years)

1

Greek: "scorching"

-1.44

1.45

9

2

Greek: pilot of the ship Argo

-0.62

-5.53

313

3

Greek: "guardian of the bear"

-0.05

-0.31

37

4

Arabic: "foot of the centaur"

-0.01

4.34

4

5

Arabic: eagle or vulture

0.03

0.58

25

6

Latin: "little she-goat"

0.08

-0.48

42

7

Arabic: "foot"

0.18

-6.69

773

8

Greek: "before the dog"

0.40

2.68

11

9

Arabic: "armpit of the great one"

0.45

-5.14

522

10

Arabic: "river's end"

0.45

-2.77

144

11

Arabic: "ground" (Latin: "knee")

0.61

-5.42

526

12

Arabic: "the eagle"

0.76

2.20

17

13

Greek: comb. of alpha crux

0.77

-4.19

321

14

Arabic: "the follower"

0.87

-0.63

65

15

Latin: ear of wheat

0.98

-3.55

262

16

Greek: rival of Mars

1.06

-5.28

604

17

Greek: immortal Gemini twin brother

1.16

1.09

34

18

Arabic: "the mouth of the fish"

1.17

1.74

25

19

Arabic: "tail"

1.25

-8.73

1467

20

Latin: "actor"

1.25

-3.92

352

21

Greek: "little king"

1.36

-0.52

77

22

Arabic: "the virgins"

1.50

-4.10

431

23

Greek: mortal Gemini twin brother

1.58

0.59

52

24

Greek: comb. of gamma and crux

1.59

-0.56

88

25

Arabic: "stinger"

1.62

-5.05

359

26

Greek: an Amazon warrior

1.64

-2.72

243

27

Arabic: "the butting one"

1.65

-1.37

131

28

Arabic/Latin: "peaceful waters"

1.67

-0.99

111

29

Arabic: "string of pearls"

1.69

-6.38

1342

30

Arabic: "the bright one"

1.73

-0.73

101

31

Arabic: "the girdle"

1.74

-5.26

817

32

unknown

1.75

-5.31

840

33

Arabic: "the bull"

1.76

-0.21

81

34

Arabic/Latin: "southern part of the bow"

1.79

-1.44

145

35

Arabic: "elbow"

1.79

-4.50

592

36

Arabic: "bear"

1.81

-1.08

124

37

Arabic: "weight"

1.83

-6.87

1791

38

Arabic: chief of the mourners

1.85

-0.60

101

39

Sumerian: "scorpion"

1.86

-2.75

272

40

unknown

1.86

-4.58

632

41

Arabic: "shoulder of the rein-holder"

1.90

-0.10

82

42

Greek/English: combination of alpha and triangle

1.91

-3.62

415

43

Bayer designation*

1.93

-0.01

80

44

Arabic: "the mark" on the right side of a camel's neck

1.93

-0.60

105

45

English: Peacock

1.94

-1.81

183

46

Latin: pole star

1.97

-3.64

431

47

Arabic: "herald"

1.98

-3.95

499

48

Arabic: "the solitary one"

1.99

-1.69

177

49

Arabic: "the forehead"

2.01

-0.92

126

50

Arabic: "lamb"

2.01

0.48

66

51

Deneb Kaitos

Arabic/Greek: "tail of the sea monster"

2.04

-0.30

96

52

ancient Babylonian name

2.05

-2.14

224

53

Arabic: "in the shoulder of the centaur"

2.06

0.70

61

54

Arabic: "sword"

2.07

-4.65

815

55

Arabic: "horse's shoulder"

2.07

-0.30

97

56

Bayer designation*

2.07

-1.52

170

57

Arabic: "girdle"

2.07

-1.86

199

58

Arabic: unknown meaning

2.07

-0.87

126

59

Arabic: "head of the serpent-charmer"

2.08

1.30

47

60

Arabic: "the demon's head"

2.09

-0.18

93

61

Arabic: type of small, predatory animal in Arabia

2.10

-3.08

355

62

Arabic: "lion's tail"

2.14

1.92

36

63

Chinese: "whip"

2.15

-4.22

613

64

Arabic: "oath"

2.20

-0.81

130

65

Greek: "ship"

2.21

-5.95

1399

66

Arabic: an ornament on a ship's stern

2.21

-4.42

694

67

Arabic: "bright one of the dish" (Latin: gem)

2.22

0.42

75

68

Arabic: an honorific title of respect

2.23

-3.99

573

69

Arabic: a birds breast

2.23

-6.12

522

70

Arabic: "groin"

2.23

0.33

78

71

Arabic: "beast"

2.24

-1.99

228

72

Arabic: "the dragon's head"

2.24

-1.04

148

73

Arabic: "belt"

2.25

-4.99

916

74

Arabic: "hand"

2.28

1.17

54

75

Arabic: "forehead"

2.29

-3.16

522

76

Chinese: "queen"

2.29

0.78

65

77

Bayer designation*

2.29

-3.02

376

78

Bayer designation*

2.30

-3.83

548

79

Bayer designation*

2.33

-2.55

308

80

Arabic: "flank"

2.34

0.41

79

81

Arabic: "girdle"

2.35

-1.69

210

82

Arabic: "nose"

2.38

-4.19

672

83

Bayer designation*

2.39

-3.38

464

84

Arabic: name of a legendary bird

2.40

0.52

77

85

Arabic: "thigh"

2.41

0.36

84

86

Arabic: unknown meaning

2.43

0.37

84

87

Arabic: "shin"

2.44

-1.49

199

88

Arabic: "the right arm"

2.45

1.58

49

89

Arabic: "virginity"

2.45

-7.51

3196

90

Bayer designation*

2.47

-3.62

539

91

Arabic: "wing"

2.48

0.76

72

92

Arabic: saddle

2.49

-0.67

140

93

Chinese: an ancient feudal state in China

2.54

-3.20

458

94

Arabic: "nose"

2.54

-1.61

220

95

Arabic: "the bright one"

2.55

-2.81

384

96

Arabic(?): claws

2.56

-3.50

530

97

Greek: "girdle"

2.56

1.32

58

98

Chinese: "the horse's tail"

2.58

-2.84

395

99

Arabic: "hare"

2.58

-5.40

1283

100

Arabic: "right wing of the raven"

2.58

-0.94

165