STARLIGHT

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21806, 11 June 1936, Page 5 (Supplement)

STARLIGHT

In this article some facts about the 20 brightest stars in the sky are given. It must be remembered, however, that these are not necessarily the biggest or most brilliant stars. A star may appear bright to us on account of its comparatively short distance from us, while another star which actually emits far more light may appear fainter because it is so much further away. As an example of this point compare the sixth and nineteenth stars in the list. 1. Sirius, the brightest star in the sky, has been mentioned several times in these articles. See “The Press Junior” of December 12, 1935, January 30, 1935, and April 2, 1936. Its name means “Sparkling.” It is eight and a half light-years distant from us, that is, its light, travelling at the rate of 186,000 miles a second, takes eight and a half years to reach us. It emits 26J times as much light as the sun. Sirius is Alpha Canis Majoris (the Great Dog), and its magnitude is 1.6. 2. Canopus or Alpha Carinae (of the Keel) is the bright star about half-way between Sirius and the South Pole. Its distance andf intrinsic luminosity (actual, not apparent, brightness) are unknown, but its apparent magnitude is 0.9. 3. Vega or Alpha Lyrae (the Lyre or Harp) is 26 light-years away, 50 times as luminous as the sun, and of magnitude 0.1. 4. Capella or Alpha Aurigae (Charioteer), whose name means “She-goat,” is 52 light-years away and 185 times as luminous as the sun. Its magnitude is 0.2. 5. Arcturus or Alpha Bodtis (the Herdsman), is distant 41 light-years and is 100 times as luminous as the sun. Its magnitude is also 0.2. Vega, Capella and Arcturus are all Northern Hemisphere stars, but Vega and Arcturus may sometimes be seen low down in the northern sky in New Zealand. 6. Alpha Centauyi (the Centaur) is only four light-years away and very slightly N more luminous than the sun. Its magnitude is 0.3. It has a companion, Proxima Centauri, which is our nearest neighbour in the sky outside the Solar System. It is the brighter star of the pair near the Southern Cross. See “The Press Junior” of February 13, 1933. 7. Rigel or Beta Orionis (Orion) is one of the most luminous stars known, emitting as much as 15,000 tunes as much light as the sun. It

THE BRIGHTEST STARS

(By B. W. Collins)

is 500 light-years distant, and iti magnitude is 0.3. 8. Protyon or Alpha Can is Minori* (the Little Dog), whose name mgm “Preceding the Dog,” is 101 Ugh** years distant, and about five and a half times as luminous as the*®. It has a faint companion tnutt gives less than a hundred-thouiantn part of "the light of Procyon itsen. The position of Procyon has hem described in “The Press Junto* 9 April 9, 1938. Its magnitude 1* •» 9. Achernar or Alpha Eridaßl (Eridanus was the name of a rWj* in classical mythology) is the ne*» brightest star in the sky. Its nan* means “End of the River. ’ It » 70 light-years distant and 200 hnBB as luminous as the sun. t The a®* parent magnitude of Achernar m 0.6. It is nearly exactly the distance as Alpha Centaur! fry the South Pole but on the opponli side. 10. Beta Centauri is 300 Ught-yeaW away, thus being more than 80 tlxpaa as distant from us as its apparent companion Alpha (No. 6 above). Is 3000 times as luminous as tne «g» and so, in spite of its great its magnitude is 0.9. i 11. Altair or Alpha Aquilae CflP Eagle) is of nearly the same mainitude as the preceding. It Bjf light-years distant and nine tkipa as luminous as the sun. AltatfßW be seen in the northern sky winter and spring evenings. 12. Betelguese or Alpha OrWW (Orion), whose name means T* arm-pit,” is 200 light-years Bad* and 1200 times as luminous as sun. Its magnitude varies from |g to 1.0 in an irregular manner n» yet understood. _ . , 13. Alpha Crucis (the Cross) ft® a distance of 230 light-years sod* luminosity 1600 times as great ® that of the sun. Its very nearly exactly 1.0. See jjf Press Junior” of February 13. MR 14. Aldebaran or Alpha Tauri h*" Bull), whose name means Hindmost,” is 57 light-years and 90 times as luminous as th**Pj Its magnitude is 1.1. tion of Tauri was described in Press Junior” of January 9, I®.^ 15. Pollux or Beta Gerninorum the Twins—Gemini is the live case) has a distance of 32 BMP* years and is 28 times as lamia® l * as the sun. Its magnitude is 16. Spica or Alpha Virbmls J** Virgin), with a name meaning ) of Wheat,” is 230 light-years • and 1500 times as luminous as *■* sun. Its magnitude is also 17. An tares or Alpha (the Scorpion), whose name “Rival of Mars,” is 380 distant and emits 4000 wo* m much light as the sun. It I*«J| same magnitude as the P 1U -_ B£ two. and its position has scribed in “The Press JuaUr m June 4, 1936. . «J| 18. Formalhaut or Alph* IK Australis (the Southern Fish), name means “Month of '3S| is only 24 light-years aW>J mg ■, 13i times as luminous « Its magnitude is 1.3. * ■, dm 197t)eneb or Alpha Swan), is about 600 light-ysaEMBT tant and 10.000 times asJWH| as the sun. It is thus a* most intrinsically "1| known. Its magnitude » sgjyajj 20. Regulus or Alpha MKRK Lion), whose Ruler,” is distant 56 Is 70 times as lumtiuw *» m ,Tfc Its magnitude ii also 1*