- Translation
Do you know them all, as well as the reasons for their brightness?
I'm hungry for new knowledge. The point is to learn every day and become brighter and brighter. This is the essence of this world.
- Jay-Z
When you imagine the night sky, you most likely think of thousands of stars twinkling against the black blanket of night, something that can only be truly seen away from cities and other sources of light pollution.
But those of us who don't get to witness such a spectacle on a periodic basis are missing the fact that stars seen from urban areas with high light pollution look different than when viewed in dark conditions. Their color and relative brightness immediately set them apart from their neighboring stars, and each has its own story.
People in the northern hemisphere can probably immediately recognize Ursa Major or the letter W in Cassiopeia, while in the southern hemisphere the most famous constellation has to be the Southern Cross. But these stars are not among the ten brightest!
Milky Way next to the Southern Cross
Each star has its own life cycle, to which it is tied from the moment of birth. When any star forms, the dominant element will be hydrogen - the most abundant element in the Universe - and its fate is determined only by its mass. Stars with 8% the mass of the Sun can ignite nuclear fusion reactions in their cores, fusing helium from hydrogen, and their energy gradually moves from the inside out and pours out into the Universe. Low-mass stars are red (due to low temperatures), dim, and burn their fuel slowly—the longest-lived ones are destined to burn for trillions of years.
But the more mass a star gains, the hotter its core, and the larger the region in which nuclear fusion occurs. By the time it reaches solar mass, the star falls into class G, and its lifetime does not exceed ten billion years. Double the solar mass and you get a class A star that is bright blue and lives for less than two billion years. And the most massive stars, classes O and B, live only a few million years, after which their core runs out of hydrogen fuel. Not surprisingly, the most massive and hot stars are also the brightest. A typical class A star can be 20 times brighter than the Sun, and the most massive ones can be tens of thousands of times brighter!
But no matter how a star begins life, the hydrogen fuel in its core runs out.
And from that moment on, the star begins to burn heavier elements, expanding into a giant star, cooler, but also brighter than the original one. The giant phase is shorter than the hydrogen burning phase, but its incredible brightness makes it visible from much greater distances than the original star was visible from.
Taking all this into account, let's move on to the ten brightest stars in our sky, in increasing order of brightness.
10. Achernar. A bright blue star with seven times the mass of the Sun and 3,000 times the brightness. This is one of the fastest rotating stars known to us! It rotates so fast that its equatorial radius is 56% greater than its polar radius, and the temperature at the pole - since it is much closer to the core - is 10,000 K higher. But it is quite far from us, 139 light years away.
9. Betelgeuse. A red giant star in the Orion constellation, Betelgeuse was a bright and hot O-class star until it ran out of hydrogen and switched to helium. Despite its low temperature of 3,500 K, it is more than 100,000 times brighter than the Sun, which is why it is among the ten brightest, despite being 600 light years away. Over the next million years, Betelgeuse will go supernova and temporarily become the brightest star in the sky, possibly visible during the day.
8. Procyon. The star is very different from those we have considered. Procyon is a modest F-class star, just 40% larger than the Sun, and on the verge of running out of hydrogen in its core - meaning it is a subgiant in the process of evolution. It is about 7 times brighter than the Sun, but is only 11.5 light years away, so it may be brighter than all but seven stars in our sky.
7. Rigel. In Orion, Betelgeuse is not the brightest of the stars - this distinction is awarded to Rigel, a star even more distant from us. It is 860 light years away, and with a temperature of just 12,000 degrees, Rigel is not a main sequence star - it is a rare blue supergiant! It is 120,000 times brighter than the Sun, and shines so brightly not because of its distance from us, but because of its own brightness.
6. Chapel. This is a strange star because it is actually two red giants with temperatures comparable to the Sun, but each is about 78 times brighter than the Sun. At a distance of 42 light years, it is the combination of its own brightness, relatively short distance and the fact that there are two of them that allows Capella to be on our list.
5. Vega. The brightest star from the Summer-Autumn Triangle, the home of the aliens from the film “Contact”. Astronomers used it as a standard "zero magnitude" star. It is located only 25 light years from us, belongs to the stars of the main sequence, and is one of the brightest class A stars known to us, and is also quite young, only 400-500 million years old. Moreover, it is 40 times brighter than the Sun, and the fifth brightest star in the sky. And of all the stars in the northern hemisphere, Vega is second only to one star...
4. Arcturus. The orange giant, on the evolutionary scale, is somewhere between Procyon and Capella. It is the brightest star in the northern hemisphere and can be easily found by the "handle" of the Big Dipper. It is 170 times brighter than the Sun, and following its evolutionary path, it can become even brighter! It is only 37 light years away, and only three stars are brighter than it, all located in the southern hemisphere.
3. Alpha Centauri. This is a triple system in which the main member is very similar to the Sun, and is itself fainter than any star in the ten. But the Alpha Centauri system consists of the stars closest to us, so its location affects its apparent brightness - after all, it is only 4.4 light years away. Not at all like number 2 on the list.
2. Canopus. A white supergiant, Canopus is 15,000 times brighter than the Sun, and is the second brightest star in the night sky, despite being 310 light-years away. It is ten times more massive than the Sun and 71 times larger - it is not surprising that it shines so brightly, but it could not reach the first place. After all, the brightest star in the sky is...
1. Sirius. It is twice as bright as Canopus, and northern hemisphere observers can often see it rising behind the constellation Orion in winter. It flickers frequently because its bright light can penetrate the lower atmosphere better than that of other stars. It's only 8.6 light-years away, but it's a class A star, twice as massive and 25 times brighter than the Sun.
It may surprise you that the top stars on the list are not the brightest or the closest stars, but rather combinations of bright enough and close enough to shine the brightest. Stars located twice as far away have four times less brightness, so Sirius shines brighter than Canopus, which shines brighter than Alpha Centauri, etc. Interestingly, class M dwarf stars, to which three out of every four stars in the Universe belong, are not on this list at all.
What we can take away from this lesson: sometimes the things that seem most striking and most obvious to us turn out to be the most unusual. Common things can be much harder to find, but that means we need to improve our observation methods!
People have always admired the starry sky. Back in the Stone Age, living in caves and dressing in skins, at night they raised their heads to the sky and admired the glowing lights.
Today the stars still attract our gaze. We know well that the brightest of them is the Sun. But what are the others called? Which stars, besides the Sun, are the brightest?
1. Sirius
Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. It is not much higher (only 22 times), but due to its proximity to Earth it is more noticeable than others. The star can be seen from almost every corner of the globe, except the northern regions.
In 1862, astronomers discovered that Sirius had a companion star. Both of them revolve around a single center of mass, but only one of them is visible from Earth - Sirius A. According to scientists, the star is gradually approaching the Sun. Its speed is 7.6 km/s, so it will become even brighter over time.
2. Canopus
Canopus is part of the constellation Carina and is second in brightness after Sirius. It belongs to the supergiants, exceeding the Sun in radius by 65 times.
Among all the stars located at a distance of 700 light years from Earth, Canopus has the greatest luminosity, but due to its remoteness it does not shine as brightly as Sirius. Once upon a time, before the invention of the compass, sailors used it as a guiding star.
3. Toliman
Toliman is also called Alpha Centauri. It is actually a binary system with stars A and B, but these stars are so close to each other that they cannot be distinguished with the naked eye. The third brightest in the sky is one of them - Alpha Centauri A.
There is another star in the same system - Proxima Centauri, but it is usually considered separately, and in terms of brightness it is not even included in the 25 stars with the highest luminosity.
4. Arcturus
Arcturus is an orange giant and shines brighter than other stars included in it. In different regions of the Earth it can be seen at different times of the year, but in Russia it is always visible.
According to the observations of astronomers, Arcturus is a variable star, that is, it changes its brightness. Every 8 days its brightness varies by 0.04 magnitude, which is explained by surface pulsation.
5. Vega
The fifth brightest star is part of the Lyra constellation and is the most studied after the Sun. Vega is located at a short distance from the solar system (only 25 light years) and is visible from anywhere on the planet, with the exception of Antarctica and the northern regions of North America.
Around Vega there is a disk of gas and dust, which, under the influence of its energy, emits infrared rays.
6. Chapel
From an astronomical point of view, the star is interesting for its binary system. Capella is two giant stars separated by 100 million kilometers. One of them, called Capella Aa, is old and is gradually beginning to fade. 
The second - Capella Ab - still shines quite brightly, but, according to scientists, the processes of helium synthesis have already ended there. Sooner or later, the shells of both stars will expand and touch each other.
7. Rigel
The luminosity of Rigel is 130 thousand times greater than the Sun. It is one of the most powerful stars in the Milky Way, but due to its distance from the solar system (773 light years), it is only seventh in brightness.
Like Arcturus, Rigel is considered a variable star and changes its brightness at intervals of 22 to 25 days.
8. Procyon
Procyon's distance from Earth is only 11.4 light years. Its system includes two stars - Procyon A (bright) and Procyon B (dim). The first is a yellow subgiant and shines about 7.5 times brighter than the Sun. Due to its age, over time it will begin to expand and shine much better.
It is believed that sooner or later it will increase to 150 times its current size, and then take on an orange or red color.
9. Achernar
In the list of the 10 brightest stars in the sky, Achernar ranks only ninth, but at the same time it is the hottest and the bluest. The star is located in the constellation Eridanus and shines 3000 times brighter than the Sun.
An interesting feature of Achernar is its very rapid rotation around its axis, as a result of which it has an elongated shape.
10. Betelgeuse
Betelgeuse's maximum luminosity is 105,000 times that of the Sun, but it is about 640 light-years from the solar system, so it is not as bright as the previous nine stars. 
Because Betelgeuse's brightness gradually decreases from the center to the surface, scientists still cannot calculate its diameter.
THE BRIGHTEST STARS VISIBLE FROM EARTH
Many people, looking at the sky after sunset, wonder what kind of bright white star appears near the Moon, so I am inclined to think that it is VENUS. It is also visible in the morning at 6 o'clock when I rush to work. But I still collected material for comparison.
Sirius, as we see on Wikpedia, visible BEFORE sunset Knowing the exact coordinates of Sirius in the sky, it can be seen during the day with the naked eye. For best viewing, the sky should be very clear and the Sun should be low above horizon.
Jupiter can reach an apparent magnitude of −2.8, making it the third brightest object in the night sky after the Moon and Venus. However, Jupiter is also called the Great Red Spot. However, at certain moments
Marsmay briefly exceed the brightness of Jupiter. Mars is called the "Red Planet" because of the reddish hue of its surface given by iron oxide. This means that she is not white at all, which is what needed to be proven.
And here Venus, even in the photos of astronomers, it is THERE, UNDER THE MOON, where I and other amateurs see it...
Syria
- (Alpha Canis Major) is located at a distance of 8.64 light years from us and is the brightest star visible in the night sky. A light year is the distance that light travels in one year, it is about 9.5 trillion km. The distance from Earth to Syria is approximately 80 trillion km. Macca Syria is 2.14 times the mass of the Sun, and its brightness is 24 times. It is also almost 2 times hotter: the temperature on its surface is about 100,000 C. Sirius is the star of the Southhemispheres of the sky .In mid latitudesRussia Sirius is observed in the southern part of the sky in autumn (early morning), winter (from sunrise to sunset) and spring (visible some time after sunset).Sirius is the sixth brightest object in the earth's sky. Only brighter than himSun , Moon , as well as planetsVenus , Jupiter AndMars during the period of best visibility (see also:List of the brightest stars ). For some time, Sirius was considered one of the stars of the so-calledmoving group of Ursa Major . This group includes 220 stars, which are united by the same age and similar movement in space. Initially the group wasopen star cluster , however, at present the cluster as such does not exist - it has disintegrated and become gravitationally unbound. So, most of the stars of the asterism belong to this clusterBig Dipper in Ursa Major. However, scientists subsequently came to the conclusion that this is not so - Sirius is much younger than this cluster and cannot be its representative.
Venus
- second internalplanet solar system with an orbital period of 224.7 Earth days. The planet got its name in honorVenus , goddesses love fromroman pantheon deities.
Venus -brightest object in the night sky except Moon , and reachesapparent magnitude at -4.6. Since Venus is closer to the Sun than Earth , it never seems too far from the Sun: the maximum angle between it and the Sun is 47.8°. Venus reaches its maximum brightness shortly before sunrise or some time after sunset, which gave rise to the name Evening Star or
The best time to observe Venus is shortly before sunrise (some time after sunrise in morning visibility).
Not everyone knows the names of stars and constellations, but many have heard the most popular ones.
Constellations are expressive star groups, and the names of stars and constellations contain special magic.
The information that tens of thousands of years ago, even before the emergence of the first civilizations, people began to give them names does not raise any doubts. Space is filled with heroes and monsters from legends, and the skies of our northern latitudes are mainly populated by characters from the Greek epic.
Photos of constellations in the sky and their names
48 ancient constellations - decoration of the celestial sphere. Each one has a legend associated with it. And it’s not surprising - stars played a big role in people’s lives. Navigation and large-scale agriculture would be impossible without a good knowledge of celestial bodies.
Of all the constellations, the non-setting ones are distinguished, located at 40 degrees latitude or higher. Residents of the northern hemisphere always see them, regardless of the time of year.
5 main non-setting constellations in alphabetical order - The Dragon, Cassiopeia, Ursa Major and Minor, Cepheus . They are visible all year round, especially well in the south of Russia. Although at northern latitudes the circle of non-setting stars is wider.
It is important that the objects of the constellations are not necessarily located nearby. To an observer on earth, the surface of the sky appears flat, but in fact some stars are much further away than others. Therefore, it would be incorrect to write “the ship made a jump into the constellation Microscope” (there is such a thing in the southern hemisphere). “The ship can make a jump towards the Microscope” - that would be correct.
The brightest star in the sky
The brightest is Sirius in Canis Major. At our northern latitudes it is visible only in winter. One of the largest cosmic bodies closest to the sun, its light travels to us for only 8.6 years.
Among the Sumerians and ancient Egyptians he had the status of a deity. 3,000 years ago, Egyptian priests used the rise of Sirius to accurately determine the time of the Nile flood.
Sirius is a double star. The visible component (Sirius A) is approximately 2 times more massive than the Sun and shines 25 times more intensely. Sirius B is a white dwarf with nearly the mass of the sun, with a brightness of a quarter solar.
Sirius B is perhaps the most massive white dwarf known to astronomers. Ordinary dwarfs of this class are half as light.
Arcturus in Bootes is the brightest in northern latitudes and is one of the most unusual luminaries. Age – 7.3 billion years, almost half the age of the universe. With a mass approximately equal to the sun, it is 25 times larger, since it consists of the lightest elements - hydrogen, helium. Apparently, when Arcturus was formed, there were not so many metals and other heavy elements in the universe.
Like a king in exile, Arcturus moves through space surrounded by a retinue of 52 smaller stars. Perhaps they are all part of a galaxy that was swallowed up by our Milky Way a long, long time ago.
Arcturus is almost 37 light years away - also not so far, on a cosmic scale. It belongs to the class of red giants and shines 110 times stronger than the Sun. The picture shows the comparative sizes of Arcturus and the Sun.
Star names by color
The color of a star depends on temperature, and temperature depends on mass and age. The hottest are young, massive blue giants, with surface temperatures reaching 60,000 Kelvin and masses up to 60 solar. Class B stars are not much inferior, the brightest representative of which is Spica, alpha of the Virgo constellation.
The coldest ones are small, old red dwarfs. On average, the surface temperature is 2-3 thousand Kelvin, and the mass is a third of the sun. The diagram clearly shows how color depends on size.
Based on temperature and color, stars are divided into 7 spectral classes, indicated in the astronomical description of the object in Latin letters.
Beautiful names of stars
The language of modern astronomy is dry and practical; among the atlases you will not find stars with names. But ancient people named the brightest and most important night luminaries. Most of the names are of Arabic origin, but there are also those that go back to hoary antiquity, to the times of the ancient Akkadians and Sumerians.
Polar. Dim, the last one in the handle of the Little Dipper, a guiding sign for all sailors of antiquity. Polar hardly moves and always points north. Every people in the northern hemisphere has a name for it. “Iron stake” of the ancient Finns, “Tied horse” of the Khakass, “Hole in the sky” of the Evenks. The ancient Greeks, famous travelers and sailors, called the polar “Kinosura”, which translates as “dog’s tail”.
Sirius. The name apparently came from ancient Egypt, where the star was associated with the hypostasis of the goddess Isis. In ancient Rome it was called Vacation, and our “vacation” comes directly from this word. The fact is that Sirius appeared in Rome at dawn, in the summer, on the days of the greatest heat, when the life of the city froze.
Aldebaran. In its movement it always follows the Pleiades cluster. In Arabic it means "follower". The Greeks and Romans called Aldebaran "Eye of the Calf".
The Pioneer 10 probe, launched in 1972, is heading directly towards Aldebaran. Estimated time of arrival is 2 million years.
Vega. Arab astronomers called it “Falling Eagle” (An nahr Al wagi). From the distorted “wagi”, that is, “falling”, the name Vega came. In ancient Rome, the day it crossed the horizon before sunrise was considered the last day of summer.
Vega was the first star (after the Sun) to be photographed. This happened almost 200 years ago in 1850, at the Oxford Observatory.
Betelgeuse. The Arabic designation is Yad Al Juza (hand of the twin). In the Middle Ages, due to confusion in translation, the word was read as "Bel Juza" and "Betelgeuse" arose.
Science fiction writers love the star. One of the characters in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy comes from a small planet in the Betelgeuse system.
Fomalhaut. Alpha Southern Pisces. In Arabic it means “Fish Mouth”. The 18th brightest night luminary. Archaeologists have discovered evidence of the veneration of Fomalhaut back in the prehistoric period, 2.5 thousand years ago.
Canopus. One of the few stars whose name does not have Arabic roots. According to the Greek version, the word goes back to Canopus, the helmsman of King Menelaus.
The planet Arrakis, from the famous series of books by F. Herbert, revolves around Canopus.
How many constellations are there in the sky
As it was established, people united stars into groups 15,000 years ago. In the first written sources, i.e. 2 millennia ago, 48 constellations are described. They are still in the sky, only the big Argo no longer exists - it was divided into 4 smaller ones - Stern, Sail, Keel and Compass.
Thanks to the development of navigation, new constellations began to appear in the 15th century. Bizarre figures decorate the sky - Peacock, Telescope, Indian. The exact year when the last of them appeared is known - 1763.
At the beginning of the last century, a general revision of the constellations took place. Astronomers counted 88 star groups - 28 in the northern hemisphere and 45 in the southern. The 13 constellations of the zodiac belt stand apart. And this is the final result; astronomers do not plan to add new ones.
Constellations of the northern hemisphere - list with pictures
Unfortunately, you cannot see all 28 constellations in one night; celestial mechanics are inexorable. But in return we have a pleasant variety. Winter and summer skies look different.
Let's talk about the most interesting and noticeable constellations.
Big Dipper- the main landmark of the night sky. With its help it is easy to find other astronomical objects.
tip of the tail Ursa Minor- the famous North Star. Celestial bears have long tails, unlike their earthly relatives.
The Dragon- a large constellation between Ursa. It is impossible not to mention μ Dragon, which is called Arrakis, which means “dancer” in ancient Arabic. Kuma (ν Draco) is double, which can be observed with ordinary binoculars.
It is known that ρ Cassiopeia – supergiant, it is hundreds of thousands of times brighter than the Sun. In 1572, the last explosion to date occurred in Cassiopeia.
The ancient Greeks did not come to a consensus whose Lyra. Different legends give it to different heroes - Apollo, Orpheus or Orion. The notorious Vega enters Lyra.
Orion- the most noticeable astronomical formation in our sky. The large stars in Orion's belt are called the Three Kings or Magi. The famous Betelgeuse is located here.
Cepheus can be seen all year round. In 8,000 years, one of its stars, Alderamin, will become the new polar star.
IN Andromeda lies the M31 nebula. This is a nearby galaxy, visible to the naked eye on a clear night. The Andromeda nebula is 2 million light years away from us.
A beautiful constellation name Veronica's hair owes it to the Egyptian queens who sacrificed her hair to the gods. In the direction of Coma Berenices is the north pole of our galaxy.
Alpha Bootes- the famous Arcturus. Beyond Bootes, at the very edge of the observable universe, lies the galaxy Egsy8p7. This is one of the most distant objects known to astronomers - 13.2 billion light years away.
Constellations for children - all the fun
Curious young astronomers will be interested in learning about the constellations and seeing them in the sky. Parents can arrange a night excursion for their children, talking about the amazing science of astronomy and seeing some of the constellations with their own eyes together with the children. These short and understandable stories will surely appeal to little researchers.
Ursa Major and Ursa Minor
In ancient Greece, the gods turned everyone into animals and threw anyone into the sky. That's how they were. One day, the wife of Zeus turned a nymph named Callisto into a bear. And the nymph had a little son who knew nothing about the fact that his mother had become a bear.
When the son grew up, he became a hunter and went to the forest with a bow and arrow. And it so happened that he met a mother bear. When the hunter raised his bow and shot, Zeus stopped time and threw everyone together - the bear, the hunter and the arrow into the sky.
Since then, the Big Dipper has been walking across the sky together with the little one, which the hunter son has turned into. And the arrow also remains in the sky, only it will never hit anywhere - such is the order in the sky.
The Big Dipper is always easy to find in the sky, it looks like a large ladle with a handle. And if you found the Big Dipper, it means the Little Dipper is walking nearby. And although Ursa Minor is not so noticeable, there is a way to find it: the two outermost stars in the bucket will point in the exact direction to the polar star - this is the tail of Ursa Minor.
polar Star
All the stars are spinning slowly, only Polaris stands still. She always points to the north, for this she is called a guide.
In ancient times, people sailed on ships with large sails, but without a compass. And when the ship is on the open sea and the shores are not visible, you can easily get lost.
When this happened, the experienced captain waited until nightfall to see the North Star and find the north direction. And knowing the direction to the north, you can easily determine where the rest of the world is and where to sail to bring the ship to its home port.
The Dragon
Among the night luminaries in the sky lives a star dragon. According to legend, the dragon participated in the wars of the gods and titans at the very dawn of time. The goddess of war, Athena, in the heat of battle, took and threw a huge dragon into the sky, just between the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper.
The Dragon is a large constellation: 4 stars form its head, 14 form its tail. Its stars are not very bright. This must be because the Dragon is already old. After all, a lot of time has passed since the dawn of time, even for the Dragon.
Orion
Orion was the son of Zeus. In his life he accomplished many feats, became famous as a great hunter, and became the favorite of Artemis, the goddess of the hunt. Orion loved to boast of his strength and luck, but one day he was stung by a scorpion. Artemis rushed to Zeus and asked to save her pet. Zeus threw Orion into the sky, where the great hero of ancient Greece still lives.
Orion is the most remarkable constellation in the northern sky. It is large and consists of bright stars. In winter, Orion is completely visible and easy to find: look for a large hourglass with three bright bluish stars in the middle. These stars are called Orion's belt and their names are Alnitak (left), Alnilam (middle) and Mintak (right).
Knowing Orion, it is easier to navigate the other constellations and find stars.
Sirius
Knowing the position of Orion, you can easily find the famous Sirius. You need to draw a line to the right of Orion's belt. Just look for the brightest star. It is important to remember that it is visible in the northern sky only in winter.
Sirius is the brightest in the sky. It is part of the constellation Canis Major, the faithful satellite of Orion.
There are actually two stars in Sirius, circling each other. One star is hot and bright, we see its light. And the other half is so dim that you can’t see it with a regular telescope. But once upon a time, many millions of years ago, these parts were one huge whole. If we lived in those times, Sirius would shine for us 20 times stronger!
Questions and answers section
Which star's name means "brilliant, sparkling"?
- Sirius. It is so bright that it can be seen even during the day.
What constellations can be seen with the naked eye?
- Everything is possible. Constellations were invented by ancient people, long before the invention of the telescope. In addition, without having a telescope with you, you can even see planets, for example, Venus, Mercury, etc.
Which constellation is the largest?
- Hydras. It is so long that it does not fit entirely in the northern sky and goes beyond the southern horizon. The length of Hydra is almost a quarter of the circumference of the horizon.
Which constellation is the smallest?
— The smallest, but at the same time the brightest, is the Southern Cross. It is located in the southern hemisphere.
What constellation is the Sun in?
The Earth revolves around the Sun, and we see how it passes through as many as 12 constellations per year, one for each month. They are called the Zodiac Belt.
Conclusion
The stars have long fascinated people. And although the development of astronomy allows us to look further into the depths of space, the charm of the ancient names of stars does not go away.
When we look into the night sky, we see the past, ancient myths and legends, and the future - because one day people will go to the stars.
The star Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky
The brightest star in the sky is undoubtedly Sirius. It shines in the constellation Canis Major and is clearly visible in the Northern Hemisphere during the winter months.
Options
In the Southern Hemisphere, it is visible during summer, north of the Arctic Circle. The star is located approximately 8.6 light years from the Sun and is one of the closest stars to us. Its brilliance is the result of its true brightness and its proximity to us.
Sirius, one of the easiest objects for amateur astronomy, is very bright, with a magnitude of -1.46. Therefore, astrophotographers can get good photos of it.
At the same time, its brightness makes it a rather difficult subject to photograph - data processing requires good preparation.
However, many astro enthusiasts have managed to tame the scorching Sirius, as you can see in this exquisite photo taken on January 1, 2013.
Invisible satellite
Sirius B is visible to the left of the star
Back in the 19th century, astronomers, when studying Sirius, noticed that its trajectory, although straight, was subject to periodic fluctuations. In the projection of the starry sky, it (the trajectory) looked like a wavy curve.
Moreover, its periodic oscillations could be detected even over a short period of time, which in itself was surprising since we were talking about stars - which are billions of kilometers away from us. Astronomers have suggested that a hidden object that revolves around Sirius with a period of about 50 years is to blame for such “wiggles”.
18 years after the bold assumption, a small star was discovered near Sirius, which has a magnitude of 8.4 and is the first discovered white dwarf, and also the most massive, discovered to date.
List of the brightest stars
| № | Name | Distance, St. years | Apparent value | Absolute value | Spectral class | Celestial hemisphere |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0,0000158 | −26,72 | 4,8 | G2V | ||
| 1 | 8,6 | −1,46 | 1,4 | A1Vm | South | |
| 2 | 310 | −0,72 | −5,53 | A9II | South | |
| 3 | 4,3 | −0,27 | 4,06 | G2V+K1V | South | |
| 4 | 34 | −0,04 | −0,3 | K1.5IIIp | Northern | |
| 5 | 25 | 0.03 (variable) | 0,6 | A0Va | Northern | |
| 6 | 41 | 0,08 | −0,5 | G6III + G2III | Northern | |
| 7 | ~870 | 0.12 (variable) | −7 | B8Iae | South | |
| 8 | 11,4 | 0,38 | 2,6 | F5IV-V | Northern | |
| 9 | 69 | 0,46 | −1,3 | B3Vnp | South | |
| 10 | ~530 | 0.50 (variable) | −5,14 | M2Iab | Northern | |
| 11 | ~400 | 0.61 (variable) | −4,4 | B1III | South | |
| 12 | 16 | 0,77 | 2,3 | A7Vn | Northern | |
| 13 | ~330 | 0,79 | −4,6 | B0.5Iv + B1Vn | South | |
| 14 | 60 | 0.85 (variable) | −0,3 | K5III | Northern | |
| 15 | ~610 | 0.96 (variable) | −5,2 | M1.5Iab | South | |
| 16 | 250 | 0.98 (variable) | −3,2 | B1V | South | |
| 17 |
