Which is the brightest star in the sky? Meet!

Many stars in the night sky attract our attention because of their radiant glow. They can have this effect for a number of reasons: distance from Earth, presence (or absence) of dust clouds around them, pressure, temperature inside their cores, among other factors.

If you’re wondering what these are brightest stars in the sky, in this text we will finally satisfy your curiosity. Check the list below.

1. Sun

The brightest of the stars visible from Earth is undoubtedly the Sun., our famous star king. Located about 27,000 light-years from the center of our galaxy, the Milky Way, and 149.6 million kilometers from Earth, the Sun centers life on the planet with rays so powerful that Looking directly at the star can permanently damage our vision.

Its magnitude is -26.74, which means it is about 13 billion times brighter than the next brightest star, Sirius.

2. Sirius

Second Sirius, belonging to the constellation of Canis Major. Its name comes from the Greek boobsmeans bright. The star is also among the closest to Earth: just 8.6 light-years from us.

It can be seen by Northern Hemisphere residents during the winter and by Southern Hemisphere residents during the summer. Sirius’ size is -1.46, twice the size of the later Canopus.

In addition to the name Sirius, he earns the nicknames “Estrela do Cão” (or Star of the Dog) and “Canícula” (meaning puppy).

3. Canopus

Canopus from the Keil constellation ranks third among the brightest stars in the sky. However, it has one important difference from Sirius: Canopus is about 315 light-years from Earth, and Sirius is just 8.6 light-years away. Even if, Although the canopus is much further away, they are close to the level of light they emit..

Canopus is a giant white star 65 times the size of the Sun. Also the star is much brighter than the king – but as we said, its light does not reach here as strongly due to its distance from Earth.

4. Alpha Centaurus/Rigil Kentaurus

Alpha Centauri (also known as Rigil Kentaurus) from Constellation Centaur is 4.37 light-years from the Sun. It is a set of three stars: Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B.close together in the sky and more distant called a dwarf star Alpha Centaurus C.

Alpha Centauri A is about 1.11 times the mass of the Sun and 1.52 times its luminosity; Alpha Centauri B is slightly smaller than the Sun and 0.50 times its luminosity.

5. Arcturus

Arcturus in the constellation Boieiro brightest celestial north star. It is said to be a giant star with a diameter of 22.1 million kilometers, which means it is 30 times larger than the Sun and 1,733 times larger than Earth. Its color is considered medium-orange.

6. Vegas

Vega in the constellation Lyra is separated from the solar system by 25 light years, which makes it very close to the Sun. It is a new star and it has been 455 million years since its formation.

One curiosity of Vega is that it has a ring of gas and dust around it.This led astronomers to initially think it might be a planet, not a star.

7. Chapel

Capella in the constellation Cocheiro (formerly Auriga) is a system of two giant yellow stars that are 9 and 12 times the Sun, respectively. Meanwhile, Capella manages to be 150 times brighter than the star king. — this does not mean that this brilliance has reached us.

The name chapel comes from Latin. chapelmeans goat. The Auriga constellation represents a drawing of a man holding a whip in his right hand and a goat in his left. So Capella would be in this man’s left hand.

8. Rigel

Rigel is the brightest star in the constellation Orion. It is a supergiant blue star, 80 times the size of the Sun. Due to its high mass, It is expected to have a short lifespan. (for stars, of course) and will result in a supernova (when a star explodes, leaving a black hole in the sky in its place).