The Brightest Stars in the Sky
The brightest and best-known stars of the night sky in one list, from Sirius, the brightest of all, to the North Star and our nearest neighbours Alpha and Proxima Centauri. See how far away each star is, what colour it shines, when to look, and whether it is above your horizon right now.
By SpaceTracker.live Team · Updated 4 November 2026
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| Star | Brightness | Distance | Constellation | Colour | Best evenings | Right now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SiriusMain-sequence star + white dwarf | −1.46 | 8.6 light-years | Canis Major | White (bluish) | Feb | — |
| CanopusBright giant (A9 II / F0 II) | −0.74 | about 310 light-years | Carina | White-yellow | Feb | — |
| Alpha CentauriTriple system: two Sun-like stars + red dwarf | −0.27 (A and B combined) | 4.37 light-years | Centaurus | Yellow-white | Jun | — |
| ArcturusOrange giant (K1.5 III) | −0.05 | 36.7 light-years | Boötes | Orange | Jun | — |
| VegaMain-sequence star (A0V), fast rotator | +0.03 | 25 light-years | Lyra | Blue-white | Aug | — |
| RigelBlue supergiant (B8Ia), multiple system | +0.13 (slightly variable) | about 860 light-years | Orion | Blue-white | Jan | — |
| BetelgeuseRed supergiant | 0.0 to 1.6 (variable) | about 500–650 ly | Orion | Orange-red | Feb | — |
| AldebaranOrange giant (K5 III) | +0.86 (slightly variable) | 65 light-years | Taurus | Orange | Jan | — |
| SpicaClose binary of two hot B stars | +0.97 (slightly variable) | about 250 light-years | Virgo | Blue-white | May | — |
| AntaresRed supergiant (M1.5Iab) + blue companion | about +1.0 (variable 0.6–1.6) | about 550 light-years | Scorpius | Red | Jul | — |
| PolarisYellow supergiant (Cepheid variable), triple system | +1.98 (slightly variable) | about 430–450 light-years | Ursa Minor | Yellow-white | All year (north) | — |
| Proxima CentauriRed dwarf (flare star) | +11.1 (telescope needed) | 4.24 light-years | Centaurus | Red | Jun | — |
Brightness is apparent magnitude: lower numbers are brighter, and negative numbers are the brightest of all. “Best evenings” is the month when the star is highest around 9 p.m. Proxima Centauri is the closest star but needs a telescope.
What is the brightest star in the sky?
Sirius, the Dog Star in Canis Major, is the brightest star in the night sky at magnitude −1.46, almost twice as bright as the runner-up, Canopus. Third is Alpha Centauri, then Arcturus, the brightest star of the northern sky, and Vega. Some planets, especially Venus and Jupiter, outshine every star; if a “star” is brighter than Sirius and does not twinkle, it is probably a planet. You can check with our planets visible tonight tool.
Bright does not mean close
How bright a star looks depends on two things: how much light it really gives out and how far away it is. Sirius looks brilliant mainly because it is close, at 8.6 light-years. Rigel looks a little fainter, yet it is about 100 times farther away and gives out thousands of times more light. The closest star of all, Proxima Centauri, is a dim red dwarf that you cannot see without a telescope.
Why stars have different colours
A star’s colour tells you its surface temperature. Cool stars, around 3,500 K, glow orange-red: Betelgeuse, Antares and Aldebaran. The Sun, at about 5,800 K, is yellow-white. Hot stars of 10,000 K and more, like Vega, Rigel and Spica, look blue-white. The colours are easiest to see when you compare two bright stars side by side, such as red Betelgeuse and blue Rigel in Orion.
The North Star is not the brightest
Many people assume the North Star is the brightest star in the sky. In fact Polaris is only around 48th. It is famous because it sits almost exactly above Earth’s North Pole, so it barely moves while all the other stars wheel around it, which makes it a reliable guide to north.
Frequently asked questions
What is the brightest star in the sky?
Sirius, in the constellation Canis Major, is the brightest star in the night sky at magnitude −1.46. Only the Moon and the planets Venus, Jupiter and sometimes Mars and Mercury outshine it.
What is the closest star to Earth?
After the Sun, the closest star is Proxima Centauri, about 4.24 light-years away. It belongs to the Alpha Centauri system, whose two bright stars are about 4.37 light-years away.
Is the North Star the brightest star?
No. Polaris, the North Star, is only around the 48th brightest star. It is famous because it sits almost exactly above Earth’s North Pole, so it barely moves while the rest of the sky turns around it.
Why do some stars look red, orange or blue?
A star’s colour shows its surface temperature. Cool stars such as Betelgeuse and Antares (about 3,500 K) glow orange-red, the Sun is yellow-white, and hot stars such as Rigel and Spica (over 12,000 K) look blue-white.
Why do bright stars twinkle?
Twinkling is caused by turbulence in Earth’s atmosphere bending starlight. It is strongest near the horizon, which is why Sirius often flashes red, green and blue when it is low.
More sky guides: constellations visible tonight · supernovae tonight · upcoming space events · night sky tonight.