This is a list of the nearest supergiant stars to Earth, located at a distance of up to 1,100 light-years (340 parsecs) from Earth. Some of the brightest stars in the night sky, such as Rigel and Antares, are in the list.
While supergiants are typically defined as stars with luminosity classes Ia, Iab or Ib, other definitions exist, such as those based on stellar evolution. [1] Therefore, stars with other luminosity classes can sometimes be considered supergiants.
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Name | Distance (ly) | Spectral type | Stellar radius (R☉) | Stellar mass (M☉) | Stellar luminosity (L☉) | Apparent magnitude (V) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Canopus | 309 [2] | A9II [3] | 73.3±5.2 [2] | 9.81±1.83 [2] | 16,600+700 −680 [2] | −0.74 [4] | While it is frequently described as a yellow supergiant, especially in evolutionary terms, [2] it is classified as a bright giant based on spectrum. [3] |
Sargas (θ Scorpii A) | 329±9 [5] | F0Ib-F1III [6] or F0 II [7] | 35.5 × 26.3 [5] | 3.1+0.37 −0.32 [5] | 1,400 [5] | 1.862 [8] | Either a lower luminosity supergiant or a (bright) giant, formed after stellar merger of two smaller stars |
Rasalgethi (α Herculis Aa) | 360 [9] | M5 Ib-II [10] | 284±60 [10] | 2.5 [10] | 7,244–9,433 [10] | 3.35 [8] | Possibly a bright giant |
Rastaban (β Draconis) | 380±4 [9] | G2Ib-IIa [11] | 41.4 ± 2.4 or 46.5 ± 2.7 [12] [a] | 6±0.2 [13] | 1,170–1,480 | 2.79 [13] | |
Betelgeuse | 408 [14] –548+90 −49 [15] | M1-M2Ia-ab [16] | 640 [17] –764+116 −62 [15] | 14 [15] – 19 [15] | 87,100+20,500 −11,200 [15] | 0.5 [18] (0.0 – 1.6) [19] | The nearest non-disputed (uncontroversial) red supergiant, and the 10th brightest star in the night sky. |
α Trianguli Australis | 420±32 [20] | K2Ib-IIa [20] | 143 [20] [b] | 7 [20] | 5,500 [20] | 1.91 [21] | Either a supergiant or bright giant |
ζ Capricorni | 442±16 [22] | G4Ib: Ba2 [16] | 31±2 [23] | 4.5+0.3 −0.2 [24] | 561+180 −143 [24] | 3.77 [25] | |
Polaris | 447±1 [26] | F7Ib-F8Ib [27] [28] | 46.27±0.42 [26] | 5.13±0.28 [26] | 1,260 [29] | 1.98 [30] (1.86 – 2.13) [27] | |
Mirfak (α Persei) | 510±10 [9] | F5Ib [13] | 53.1+1.4 −1.45 [31] | 7.3±0.3 [13] | 3,786±186 [32] | 1.806 [13] | 35th brightest star in the night sky. |
Sadalsuud (β Aquarii) | 542+18 −16 [22] | G0Ib [13] | 47.88+1.68 −1.81 [33] | 6.4±0.3 [13] | 2,046±180 [33] | 2.87 [34] | |
Suhail (λ Velorum) | 545±10 [9] | K4Ib [16] | 211±6 [35] | 7.0+1.5 −1.1 [35] | 8,300 [35] | 2.21 [34] (2.14 – 2.30) [36] | |
Antares | 554±94 [9] | M1.5Iab-Ib [16] | 680 [37] | 11 [37] –16 [14] | 75,900+53,000 −31,200 [38] | 0.6 –1.6 [39] | 15th brightest star in the night sky. |
κ Pavonis | 590±30 [40] | F5-G5 I-II [41] | 19–25 [42] | 565 [43] | 4.35 [44] (3.91 - 4.78) [45] | ||
Saiph | 650±30 [9] | B0.5Ia [46] | 14 [47] | 15.5±1.25 [48] | 60,300+10,500 −9,000 [47] | 2.09 [49] | The closest blue supergiant. |
Enif (ε Pegasi) | 690±20 [9] | K2Ib-II [16] | 178 [32] | 11– 12 [14] | 8,508±596 [32] | 2.399 [9] (2.37 – 2.45) [50] | |
Sadalmelik (α Aquarii) | 691+38 −56 [22] | G2Ib [13] | 70 [51] [c] | 6.5±0.3 [13] | 2.942 [53] | ||
β Arae | 714+39 −34 [22] | K3Ib-II [54] | 141.4±6.6 [55] | 8.21 [56] | 5,774±535 [55] | 2.84 [57] | |
ζ Persei | 750±30 [9] to 1,300±200 [58] | B1Ib [59] | 16.7 [48] [d] to 26.1 [60] | 14.5±1.9 [48] | 47,000 [48] | 2.86 [61] | |
Aspidiske (ι Carinae) | 770±20 [9] | A7Ib [62] | 46.4–50.1 [63] | 6.9 [63] | 4,900 [64] | 2.21 [57] | |
Ahadi (π Puppis) | 810±70 [9] | K3Ib [65] | 235 [32] | 11.7 [66] | 11,380 [32] | 2.733 [67] | |
Rigel | 848±65 [68] | B8Ia [69] | 74.1+6.1 −7.3 [33] | 21±3 [70] | 120,000+25,000 −21,000 [71] | 0.13 [4] (0.05 – 0.18) [72] | 7th brightest star in the night sky. |
χ Aquilae | 854±114 [9] | G8Ib [73] | 23.3 [32] | 443 [32] | 5.8 [73] | ||
ζ Aurigae A | 860±10 [74] | K5Ib [35] | 148±3 [75] | 5.8±0.2 [75] | 4,786 [35] | 3.751 [76] (3.70 –3.97) [45] | Sometimes considered a red supergiant; [1] possible bright giant [77] |
Mebsuta (ε Geminorum) | 861+52 −39 [22] | G8Ib [78] | 130.2+5.5 −6 [33] | 5.29±0.4 [33] | 6,980 [79] | 3.06 [80] | |
β Camelopardalis | 870±50 [9] | G1Ib–IIa [13] | 58±13 [81] | 6.5±0.4 [13] | 1,530+300 −250 [79] | 4.02 [4] | |
η Aquilae A | 885.8+41.7 −45.0, [22] 1010±33 [82] | F6Ib–G4Ib [83] | 59±2 [82] | 5.7 [84] | 3,368±195 [82] | 3.48 –4.33 [85] | |
δ Cephei A | 887±26 [86] [87] | F5Ib-G1Ib [88] [89] | 46.07+1.9 −2.1 [31] | 5.26+1.26 −1.40 [90] | 1,949±107 [82] | 3.48 – 4.37 [88] | Protoype of the Classical Cepheid variable stars. |
ζ Cephei | 993+51 −46 [22] | K1.5Ib [46] | 172.7+7.5 −8.3 [31] | 10.1±0.1 [91] | 10,024±1,052 [31] | 3.35 [92] | |
Miram (η Persei) | 1,000±60 [93] | K3Ib [94] | 173.1+9.69 −10.8 [52] | 8±0.4 [66] | 7,508±864 [52] | 3.79 [4] | |
β Doradus | 1,040±50 [95] –1,140±13 [96] | F4-G4Ia-II [97] [98] | 67.8±0.7 [96] | 7.7±0.2 [66] | 3,200 [99] | 3.46 – 4.08 [97] | |
Naos (ζ Puppis) | 1,080±40 [9] | O4If(n)p [100] | 13.5±0.2 [101] | 25.3±5.3 [101] | 446,700+66,200 −57,600 [101] | 2.24 – 2.26 [102] |
Solar radius is a unit of distance used to express the size of stars in astronomy relative to the Sun. The solar radius is usually defined as the radius to the layer in the Sun's photosphere where the optical depth equals 2/3:
RT Aurigae is a yellow supergiant variable star in the constellation Auriga, about 1,500 light years from Earth. Although its brightness is variable, it as consistently visible to the naked eye under good observing conditions.
Sher 25 is a blue supergiant star in the constellation Carina, located approximately 25,000 light years from the Sun in the H II region NGC 3603 of the Milky Way. It is a spectral type B1Iab star with an apparent magnitude of 12.2. Its initial main sequence mass is calculated at 60 times the mass of the Sun, but a star of this type will have already lost a substantial fraction of that mass. It is unclear whether Sher 25 has been through a red supergiant phase or has just evolved from the main sequence, so the current mass is very uncertain.
V399 Carinae is a variable star in the constellation Carina. It is visible to the naked eye.
A yellow hypergiant (YHG) is a massive star with an extended atmosphere, a spectral class from A to K, and, starting with an initial mass of about 20–60 solar masses, has lost as much as half that mass. They are amongst the most visually luminous stars, with absolute magnitude (MV) around −9, but also one of the rarest, with just 20 known in the Milky Way and six of those in just a single cluster. They are sometimes referred to as cool hypergiants in comparison with O- and B-type stars, and sometimes as warm hypergiants in comparison with red supergiants.
FF Aquilae is a classical Cepheid variable star located in the constellation Aquila, close to the border with Hercules. It ranges from apparent magnitude 5.18 to 5.51 over a period of 4.47 days, meaning it is faintly visible to the unaided eye in rural or suburban settings.
145 G. Canis Majoris is a single K giant or supergiant star in the southern constellation of Canis Major. This star is Gould's 145th of Canis Major in his Uranometria Argentina. Kostjuk erroneously lists it as simply "145 CMa". SIMBAD follows this error in its object query result as "* 145 CMa – Star".
3 Ceti is a single, orange-hued star located around 2,100 light years away in the equatorial constellation of Cetus. It is visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of 4.95. The star is moving closer to the Earth with a heliocentric radial velocity of −42 km/s. It has a peculiar velocity of 60.7+3.8
−6.2 km/s and is a candidate runaway star.
35 Cygni is a spectroscopic binary star in the constellation Cygnus. Its apparent magnitude is 5.18. Located around 1,000 parsecs (3,300 ly) distant, its primary is a yellow supergiant of spectral type F6Ib, a massive star that has used up its core hydrogen and is now fusing heavier elements.
HR 1884 is a spectroscopic binary star in the constellation Auriga. The primary is a G type supergiant star while the secondary is probably a B type main sequence star.
12 Pegasi is a K-type supergiant star in the constellation of Pegasus. It has a spectral type of K0Ib Hdel0.5, which indicates that it is a less luminous K-type supergiant with strong H-δ Balmer lines. The star has expanded to 81 times the radius of the Sun, and has an effective temperature of 4,185 K.
HD 22764, also known as HR 1112, is an orange hued star located in the northern circumpolar constellation Camelopardalis. It has an apparent magnitude of 5.78, allowing it to be faintly visible to the naked eye. The object is located relatively far at a distance of approximately 1,770 light years based on Gaia DR3 parallax measurements but is approaching the Solar System with a heliocentric radial velocity of −12.5 km/s. At its current distance, HD 22764's brightness is diminished by 0.66 magnitudes due to interstellar dust.
X Cygni is a variable star in the northern constellation of Cygnus, abbreviated X Cyg. This is a Delta Cephei variable that ranges in brightness from an apparent visual magnitude of 5.85 down to 6.91 with a period of 16.386332 days. At it brightest, this star is dimly visible to the naked eye. The distance to this star is approximately 3,690 light years based on parallax measurements. It is drifting further away with a radial velocity of 8.1 km/s. This star is a likely member of the open cluster Ruprecht 173.
HD 271182, occasionally referred to as G266 and R92, is a rare yellow hypergiant (YHG) and an Alpha Cygni variable. It is one of the brightest stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), positioned in the deep southern constellation of Dorado. Gaia DR2 parallax measurements indicate that it is located around 200,000 light-years away, though this value is extremely uncertain. Despite this vast distance from Earth, the star is observable through a small telescope due to its immense luminosity, at an apparent magnitude of 9.6. It is receding away from the Sun at a heliocentric radial velocity of +311.9185 km/s, confirming its membership in the LMC.
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