How many astronomy facts are there for all the objects and phenomenon in the entire universe? To count the stars in the universe we need a one followed by 22 zeros. Think about this, there are planets orbiting many of those stars. Then consider all the moons that orbit the planets, the comets and asteroids, the galaxies these stars form, the nebulae and black holes and everything else out there. It’s a lot to consider. This short discussion won’t cover everything. Walked is here, however, is interesting.
The data on the brightest star as seen from Earth are good astronomy facts. That’s discounting the Sun which is about 250,000 times closer than the next nearest star. We get so much light from the sun that when it shines none of the other stars can be seen. Keep in mind that in the scale for the magnitudes given, lower numbers are brighter. In the scale we’ll use the sun is 26.73, and the moon is -12.6. All righty then, here’s the top five list.
#5 is Vega, which means eagle or vulture in Arabic. As seen from Earth its magnitude is .03. Just because a star looks brighter from Earth doesn’t mean it’s really brighter. Our sun, for example, appears brighter than any other star, even though it’s not one of the brightest in the universe. That’s because it’s so close.
#4 is Rigel Kentaurus, that’s Arabic for foot of the centaur. It’s about four light years from Earth with a magnitude of -.01.
At #3, by the known astronomy facts is Arcturus. The name means guardian of the bear in Greek. It’s 37 light-years distant from our home on Earth.
Canopus sits at number two. Named for the pilots of Jason’s vessel in Jason and the Argonauts, this star is the brightest of all of these top five. But because of its distance, 313 light-years from Earth, it only appears to be second brightest. -.62 is its magnitude is seen from the planet Earth.
#1 is the Greek word for scorching, Sirius. Sirius is also known as the Dog Star because it’s the brightest star in the constellation of Big Dog. Only 9 light-years separate Sirius and the earth, that’s the second nearest in this top five list. But from Earth it has a magnitude of -1.44. That makes it easily the brightest star as seen in the night sky.
This information doesn’t even scratch the surface of astronomy facts. But consider it next time you see the stars in the night sky.
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