Top brightest stars from the earth

Distance in light years: 0.000 016 . . . . . At present, the Sun is presumed to be brighter than about 85% of the stars in the Milky Way galaxy.

Distance in light years: 1,550 . . . . . 19th brightest star in the night sky. . . . . constellation Cygnus . . . . .blue-white supergiant

Distance in light years: 640 . . . . . 9th brightest star in the sky. . . . .constellation Orion. . . . . .a red supergiant, . . . . . one of the largest and most luminous stars known. If it were our Sun, the surface would extend to somewhere between the present orbits of Mars and Jupiter.

Distance in light years: 8.6 . . . . . Sirius is the #1 brightest star in the night sky. . . . . almost twice as bright as the next brightest star, Canopus

Distance in light years: 37 . . . . . 3rd brightest star in the night sky. . . . . . 2nd brightest star visible in the north night sky.The brightest star in the constellation Boötes. . . . . Polynesian navigators used Arcturus to navigate to Hawaii from Tahiti and the Marquesas Islands. They would head east and north until it was directly overhead in the summer night sky. At that oint they were in the correct latitude so they would head due west to reach the Hawaiian Islands. They would use Sirius to return home to Tahiti.

Distance in light years: 4.4 . . . . . 4thbrightest star in the night sky. . . . . constellation Centaurus.

Distance in light years: 25 . . . . . 5th brightest star in the sky . . . . . constellation Lyra. . . . . . 2nd brightest star in the northern night sky (following Arcturus).

Distance in light years: 310 . . . . . 2nd brightest star in the night sky. . . . . Visible in the Southern Hemisphere. If you are as far north San Francisco, you will not be able to see it.

Distance in light years: 11 . . . . . 7th brightest star in the sky. . . . . . constellation Canis Minor.

Distance in light years: 140 . . . . . 8th brightest star in the sky. . . . . constellation Eridanus. . . . . .3000 times brighter than our Sun. . . . .Not visible further north than Texas

Distance in light years: 42 . . . . . 14th brightest star in the night sky. . . . .constellation Auriga

Distance in light years: 25 . . . . . 18th brightest star in the night sky. . . . . constellation Piscis Austrinus

Distance in light years: 530 . . . . . 10th brightest star in the night sky. . . . . constellation Centaurus. . . . . . blue-white giant

Distance in light years: 42 . . . . . 11th brightest star in the night sky. . . . .constellation Auriga. . . . . 5th brightest star in the north. . . . .appears to be a single star to the naked eye, but is actually a star system of four stars in two binary pairs.

Distance in light years: 42 . . . . . 12th brightest star in the night sky. . . . .constellation Delphinus. . . . .one of the closest stars visible to the naked eye

Distance in light years: 65 . . . . . 13th brightest star in the night sky. . . . . constellation Taurus. . . . .also called theBull's Eye . . . . .orange giant

Distance in light years: 260 . . . . . 15th brightest star in the night sky. . . . . constellation Virgo

Distance in light years: 600 . . . . . 16th brightest star in the night sky. . . . . Constellation Scorpius. . . . .red supergiant

Distance in light years: 34 . . . . . 17th brightest star in the night sky. . . . . constellation of Gemini . . . . . orange giant

Distance in light years: 770 . . . . . 6th brightest star in the sky. . . . .constellation Orion