Main Stars

Before any modern era attempt to give stars catalog names, a lot of stars were known by names. Most of the nake-eye visible stars in the constellations still bear such names today, as some names are more well known than others. Stars' names, generally, are related to various cultures through which these names were given. Oldest are Greek, like Sirius or Procyon, some are due to the ancient Rome, like Regulus, as the greatest number of stars' names are derived from names Arab astronomers used in the Middle Ages, based on their peoples' use

The following list of well-known stars is by alphabetical order and contains stars from both terrestrial hemispheres. As far as stars's names are concerned, they are given -after the main common name under which the star is known, and in this order- the Bayer (Greek) letter, the Flamsteed number, the Henry Draper Catalogue, and the Bright Star Catalogue (HR). for more about stars designation, see the tutorial "Stars Designations"

Acamar

q1 Eri, - , HR 897, HD 18622, mag. 3.24, southern hemisphere
Acamar was the end of Eridanus, the River before Achernar was invented. "Acamar" is another alteration of the Arabic terms meaning "the end of the river", as Achernar is. Acamar is a A4III star.

Achernar

a Eri, - , HR472, HD 10144, mag. 0.46, southern hemisphere
Achernar whose Arabic name means the "end of the river", marks the end of Eridanus, the River, this famous and fine constellation starting at Rigel of Orion. Achernar is a B3Vpe star. It's a bluish star with a radius of 5 Sun radii, and a double star. Before the southern hemisphere was discovered, Eridanus, the River Eridanus was only partially observable from the northern hemisphere. It was then Acamar which bore the name 'Achernar' as it was seen like marking the end of Eridanus. Advanced observationsof Achernar are showing that, due to its much rapid rotation, it has an oblate shape

Acrux

a1 Cru, - , HR 4730 , HD 108248, mag. 1.33, southern hemisphere
Acrux is the spike and main star of Crux, the Southern Cross, this constellation which southerners use to spot the southern celestial pole. "Acrux" is likely a contraction of "alpha" (Bayer's letter) and "Crux" -Latin for "cross". Acrux is a B0.5IV, bluish star. Acrux is visible from the southern hemisphere only as it remained totally unknown, for a long time, for the northern astronomers. Acrux is a triple star and located at 320 light-years from us. On the Brazilian flag, Acrux figures the State of São Paulo

Agena

b Cen, - , HR 5267, HD 122451, mag. 0.61, southern hemisphere
Other name: Hadar. Agena, or b Cen, is, with Alpha Centauri, the other element of the "Pointers", these two stars which points to the Southern Cross in the southern hemisphere. Agena is a B1III star. It's a bluish star, shining at 10,000 times the Sun, and located 460 light-years away.'Agena', in Latin, means 'knee'

Albireo

b1 Cyg, 6, HR 7417, HD 183912, mag. 3.08, northern hemisphere
Albireo at the tip of Cygnus, the Swan, is a most famous double star, with one of the components of a color yellow -and the 3.1rd magnitude- and the other component being blue -and the 5.1th magnitude. Albireo two components are a K3II and a B9.5V star respectively. Albireo is 385 light-years from us. The name 'Albireo' seems to be coming from the Arabic language, as, in fact, it's coming from a misinterpretation of the Latin 'ab ireo' ('from the iris'), which the Western astronomers, in the Middle Ages, had given to the star (they did think that the Arabic name 'al-Minhar al-Dajajak' -the -hen's neck'- was indeed referring to that flower). Following astronomers, as far as they are concerned, considered 'abireo' for an ill-transcribed Arabic name, and they added an 'l' into it

Alcor

see Mizar

Aldebaran

a Tau, 87, HR 1457, HD 29139, mag. 0.85, northern hemisphere
Also: Cor Tauri, Parilicium. Aldebaran is the main star to the constellation Taurus, the Bull. Name is derived from the Arabic "Ad-Dabaran", "the follower", as the star is seen following the Pleiades in the nightly motion of the sky. It's an orange-shining star as it's nestled among the famous, V-shaped open cluster of the Hyades. Aldebaran is a K5+III star. 46 Sun radii. Aldebaran is a red giant, with a diameter 46 times the one of the Sun. Aldebaran, along with Regulus, Antares, and Fomalhaut, were the '4 royal stars' among the ancient Persian astrologers, as soon as about 3,000 B.C., as they were used to spot the seasonal calendar, being, grossly, each at 6 hours of Right Ascension apart from each other on the celestial sphere. In the Persian language, each of those stars were bearing a name with 'the guardian of', and followed with an azimuth (Aldebaran was associated with the East, Regulus with the North, Antares with the West, and Fomalhaut with the South). It was the Romans who called Aldebaran 'Paricilium'

Algol

b Per, 26, HR 936, HD 19356, mag. 2.12, northern hemisphere
Other names: Gorgona, Gorgonea Prima, Demon Star, El Ghoul. Algol is a famous variable star, in Perseus. Algol is a BV8 star, 100 light-years away. 3.16 Sun radii. Algol is a binary eclipsing star, with a variability of 2 days and 21 hours (passing from the 2.1nd magnitude, to the 3.4th). The Arabic name: 'ras al-ghoul' means the 'head of the oger' (the oger, in the Arabic world, being a monster of the desert), maybe referring to the variability of Algol. In the constellation Perseus, Algol does figure the head of the Medusa. The English name of Algol is the 'Demon Star', more directly referring to the Arabic name

Alnair

a Gru, - , HR 8425, HD 209952, mag. 1.74, southern hemisphere
Alnair comes from the Arabic and means "the bright one". Alnair is a B7IV star. 3.6 Sun radii

Alpha Centauri

a1 Cen, - , HR 5459, HD 128620, mag. -0.01, southern hemisphere
Other names: Rigel Kentaurus, Rigil Kent, Toliman. Alpha Centauri, along with Agena, forms the "Pointers", these two stars pointing to the Southern Cross. On the other hand Alpha Centauri is better known to be the location of the nearest star to our solar system at about 4.3 light-years. Alpha Centauri is a multiple-star system, only one star of which -a red dwarf- is this nearest star. Alpha Centauri main star is a yellow-orange G2V star. 1.18 Sun radii

Alpheratz

a And, 21, HR 15, HD 358, mag. 2.06, northern hemisphere
Other name: Alpherat. Alpheratz is the first star of the line of Andromeda and is better to be seen like one of the spikes of the Great Square of Pegasus. Alpheratz comes from "Surrat al-Faras", "navel of the steed". Alpheratz is a B8IVpMnHg star

Altair

a Aql, 53, HR 7557, HD 187642, mag. 0.77, northern hemisphere
Altair is this famous star of Aquila, the Eagle, which, with Deneb of Cygnus, the Swan and Vega of Lyra, the Lyre, forms the Summer Triangle, this characteristic pattern of the northern summer sky. In Arabic "At-Ta'ir" means "the flying". Altair is a A7V, yellowish-white star. It's bright because it's near to us, at 17 light-years only. 1.6 Sun radii. The very swift rotation of the star about itself -about 8 days compared to the 25 days for the Sun- brings to a very oblate shape. In Chinese, it's "the Star of the Cowherd" and linked to the myth of the cowherd and the weaver girl (a story of a marriage of a human and a fairy eventually separated in heaven by the Milky Way, being Altair and Vega, as once a year, both may be reunited through a magpie bridge formed over Deneb)

Antares

a Sco, 21, HR 6134, HD 148478, mag. 0.96, southern hemisphere
Other names: Cor Scorpii, Vespertilio, Kalb al Akrab. Antares, name of which means "rival to Mars" is a reddish star. It's ahead the fine arch of stars of the Scorpion. Antares is a double star (components: M1.5Iab-Ib, B4Ve). It's an intrinsically very bright star, at 7,500 times the Sun. It's located at 330 light-years and is a massive 510 Sun radii star. M44, a globular cluster, is just aside Antares. On the Zodiac, Antares is about just at the opposite of where Aldebaran is, as Aldebaran is a red star too. The Egyptian temples were often built in such a way that the light of Antares, when rising, might be part of the ceremonies. Antares was one of the four royal stars in Persia (see at Aldébaran)

Arcturus

a Boo, 16, HR 5340, HD 124897, mag. -0.04, northern hemisphere
Other name: Haris-el-Sema. Arcturus is the main star of the kite-shaped constellation of Bootes, the Herdsman. The name is of Greek origin (from "arktos", "North"). Arcturis is orange in color and a K1IIIbCN-1 star. 25.1 Sun radii

Asellus Borealis, Asellus Australis

g and d Cnc, 43 and 47, HR 3449 and 3461, HD 74198 and 74442, mag. 4.66 and 3.94, northern hemisphere
These are both stars, in Cancer, the Crab, located each side of the famous open cluster M44, the Beehive, Praesepe. These Latin names were designating two donkeys ("asellus" means "donkey" in Latin) each side of a manger, the manger being the cluster. Asellus Borealis is a A1IV star and Asellus Australis a K0III-IIIb star

Bellatrix

g Ori, 24, HR 1790, HD 35468, mag. 1.64, northern hemisphere
Other name: "the Amazon Star". Bellatrix is the top right star of the quadrilateral of Orion. Bellatrix is a B2III star. 8.1 Sun radii

Betelgeuse

a Ori, 58, HR 2061, HD 39801, mag. 0.50, northern hemisphere
Other name: Al Mankib. Betelgeuse is the top left star of the quadrilateral of Orion. Derived from Arabic terms meaning "hand of Orion". Betelgeuse is a M1-2Ia-Iab, reddish star. It's a red giant (226 Sun radii) located at 310 light-years away

Canopus

a Car, - , HR 2326, HD 45348, mag. -0.72, southern hemisphere
Other name: Suhail. Canopus is the bright star of the ancient constellation Argo, the Ship. Canopus is now part of Carina, the Ship's Keel. Canopus is a yellowish-white F0II star. It's intrinsically one of the most luminous star known, being 200,000 times brighter than our Sun. That why it's so bright although lying 1,200 light-years from us. In the southern hemisphere, Canopus was used like the polar star, until the compass became generalized

Capella

a Aur, 13, HR 1708, HD 34029, mag. 0.08, northern hemisphere
Capella is the main star of Auriga, the Charioteer. Capella is a G5IIIe, G0III double star. Capella looks yellowish. 13 Sun radii. As a bright star close to the celestial pole, Capella plaid a role in numerous myths. In Rome, Capella represented the goat Amalthea, which had suckled Jupiter, and was called such. In India, it was seen like the heart of Brahma and called 'Brahmahridaya'

Castor

a Gem, 66, HR 2891, HD 60179, mag. 1.98., northern hemisphere
Castor is the main star of Gemini, the Twins. Its name is related to the Greek mythology. Castor, with his twin Pollux were children to Zeus and Leda. Their sisters were Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra. In China, Castor is considered the symbolization of the 'Yin', the Chinese male principle. As Pollux was immortal, Castor was mortal. Castor is 46 (51.5) light-years from us and 1.7 larger than Sun. It's a binary star (main star is a A1V star). 1.7 Sun radii

Cor Caroli

a2 CVn, 12, HR 4915, HD 112413, mag. 2.90, northern hemisphere
Cor Caroli means "Charles' heart" in Latin. It's an hommage to Charles II, King of England, or to his son, Charles II (to whom she would have appeared like extremely luminous). Cor Caroli is a A0pSiEuHg star

Deneb

a Cyg, 50, HR 7924, HD 197345, mag. 1.25, northern hemisphere
Other names: Deneb Cygni, Deneb el Adige, Gallina. "Deneb" is the generic Arabic term "Dhanab", for "tail". Here, it's the Swan's tail. Deneb, with Altair of Aquila, the Eagle and Vega of Lyra, the Lyre, is forming the Summer Triangle, this characteristic figure of northern summer nights. Deneb is a A2Ia star. Deneb is white. It's one of these stars which are intrinsically very bright (it's 70,000 brighter than the Sun) and brightly shining although very far from us (Deneb is 1,800 light-years away). Radius: Deneb is 200 times larger than the Sun

Denebola

b Leo, 94, HR 4534, HD 102647, mag. 2.14, northern hemisphere
Denebola is another example of the Arabic "Dhanab", meaning "tail". Here it's the Lion's tail. Denebola is a A3V star, 42 light-years away. 1.8 Sun radii. Due to its swift rotation, it has a oblate shape

Etamin

g Dra, 33, HR 6705, HD 164058, mag. 2.23, northern hemisphere
Other names: Etanin, Rasaben, Zenith Star. Etamin is the main star to Draco, the Dragon. The name comes from the Arabic "At-Tinnin" meaning "the great serpent". Etamin is a K5III star, 148 light-years away. 23.6 Sun radii. Being close to the zenith, as seen from London, this awarded to the star the name, too, of 'Zenith star'

Fomalhaut

a PsA, 24, HR 8728, HD 216956, mag. 1.16, southern hemisphere
Other names: Os Piscis Meridiani, the First Frog. Fomalhaut means "the Fish's mouth" in Arabic. As often it was a litteral transcription of the star's description as given by Ptolemy. Fomalhaut is a bluish-white, A3V star, 25 light-years away. 1.5 Sun radii. Fomalhaut was one of the four royal stars in Persia (see at Aldébaran)

Gemma

a CrB, 5, HR 5793, HD 139006, mag. 2.23, northern hemisphere
Other names: Alphekka, Alphecca, Gnosia, the Jewel. Gemma ('jewel' in Latin) is the main jewel of the fine constellation of Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown. The name, in Arabic, 'al-fakkah' means 'the broken one', referring to the interrupted circle shape of the constellation. Gemma is a double star with a A0V and a G5V component. It's 67 light-years away. 2.7 Sun radii

Hamal

a Ari, 13, HR 617, HD 12929, mag. 2.00, northern hemisphere
Other name: Ras Hammel. Hamal, from the Arabic "Al-Hamal", "ram", is the main star to Aries, the Ram. Rarely the star is called too 'ras al-hamal', "the ram's head" to avoid any confusion with the constellation itself. Hamal is a K2-IIICa-1 star. 21.4 Sun radii

Kaus Australis

e Sgr, 20, HR 6879, HD 169022, mag. 1.85, southern hemisphere
Kaus Australis is the main star to Sagittarius, the Archer. "Al-Qaus" means "the bow" in Arabic, as 'qaus australis', 'the southern bow'. Kaus Australis is a B9.5III star

Kornephoros

b Her, , HR 6148, HD 148856, mag. 2.77, northern hemisphere
Other names: Kornephoros, Rutilicus. Komephoros may be considered the main star to Hercules. Komephoros is a G0IV star. 'Kornephoros', in Greek, means 'the club carrier', hinting to one of the weapons of Hercules

Marchab

a Peg, 54, HR 8781, HD 218045, mag. 2.49, northern hemisphere
Also Markab, Marchab is one spike of the Great Square of Pegasus, opposite to Alpheratz of Andromeda. From "Mankib al Faras", "the shoulder" -of the horse. Marchab is a B9V star. 2 Sun radii

Mirfak

a Per, 33, HR 1017, HD 20902, mag. 1.79, northern hemisphere
Also Mirphak or Algenib, Mirfak is the main star to Perseus. From the Arabic "Al-Mirfaq", "the elbow" -of the Pleiades. Mirfak is a F5Ib star. 55 Sun radii. In Hawaii, the name of 'Mirfak', which is 'Hinali'i' is commemorating a large tsunami

Mizar

z UMa, 79, HR 5054, HD 116656, mag. 2.27, northern hemisphere
Mizar is this famed star located at the middle of the Big Dipper's handle. It's sided by Alcor, a 4.01 magnitude star (no Bayer letter, 80, HR 5062, HD 116842), providing a fine show. "Mizar" is from "Al-Maraqq", "the loins", or "a belt". Mizar is a A1VpSrSi star as Alcor a A5V one. Mizar is 190 light-years away, with a radius of 1.6 that of Sun. Mizar was the fist binary ever observed as it had gained attention due to its faint companion, Alcor

Peacock

a Pav, - , HR 7790, HD 193924, mag. 1.94, southern hemisphere
Peacok is the main star of the Peacok. Peacok is a B2IV star. 5 Sun radii. The name 'Peacock' was attributed to the star by the end of the 1930's only, at the occasion of the making of an almanach for the use of the Royal Air Force (R.A.F.)

Polaris

a UMi, 1, HR 424, HD 8890, mag. 2.02, northern hemisphere
Other names: Lodestar, Pole Star, Tramontana. Polaris is presently marking the north celestial pole. It has always been a useful star to sailors. Polaris is a F7Ib-II star, 470 light-years away. 19.5 Sun radii

Pollux

b Gem, 78, HR 2990, HD 62509, mag. 1.14, northern hemisphere
Pollux is the other main star of Gemini, the Twins. With its Twin Castor he was the child of Zeus -the chief god of Greeks- and Leda. As Castor was mortal, Pollux was immortal. Pollux, in China, is representing the 'Yang', the female principle. Pollux is a yellowish, K0IIIb star with a radius of 10 Sun radii

Procyon

a CMi, 10, HR 2943, HD 61421, mag. 0.38, northern hemisphere
Other names: Elgomaisa, Antecanis. Procyon, which means in Greek "before the dog" owes its name to Canis Minor, the Little Dog, being ahead of Canis Major, the Great Dog. Procyon is a F5IV-V star. It's yellowish-white and its strong magnitude is due to it being 11,4 light-years away only. 2 Sun radii. Procyon, along with Sirius, was known by most of the ancient mythologies and it was venerated by both the Babylonians and the Egyptians

Ras Alhague

a Oph, 55, HR 6556, HD159561, mag. 2.08, northern hemisphere
Ras Alhague is the main star of Ophiuchus, the Serpent Holder. Its Arabic name is "Ra's al-Hayya'", "head of the snake-man" (or 'serpent-charmer'). Ras Alhague is a A5III star. 3.15 Sun radii

Regulus

a Leo, 32, HR 3982, HD 87901, mag. 1.35, northern hemisphere
Other names: Cor Leonis, Rex, Kabeleced. Regulus is the main star to Leo, the Lion. Regulus is a B7V star. 3.5 Sun radii, as it's 77.5 light-years from us. Regulus has an oblate shape for cause of a swift rotation. 'Regulus, in Latin, is meaning 'prince', 'kinglet', as, in Arabic, 'qalb al asad", is "the lion's heart" (whence'Kabelaced' and 'Cor Leonis'). Etait l'une des 4 étoiles royales des anciens Perses (voir à Aldébaran). Regulus was one of the four royal stars in Persia (see at Aldébaran)

Rigel

b Ori, 19, HR 1713, HD 34085, mag. 0.12, northern hemisphere
Also Algebar, Rigel is the bottom right star of the quadrilateral of Orion, the start of Eridanus, the River. Name from the Arabic "Ar-Rijl", "the foot", or 'rijl al-gabbar', 'the foot of the great one', thence 'Algebar'. Rigel is a B81a bluish-white star. It shines 60,000 times the Sun does and is located 910 light-years from us. 63 Sun radii. Rigel is the brightest star of the constellation Orion, the Hunter as it's the brighest star in our neighbourhood in the Milky Way Galaxy (one has to go then down to Deneb, at 3,300 light-years from us for another bright star). Rigel, as near the celestial equator and bright, was one of the stars used for the oceanic navigation

Rigel Centaurus

see Alpha Centauri

Sirius

a CMa, 9, HR 2491, HD 48915, mag. -1.46, southern hemisphere
Other names: Dog Star, Canicula. Sirius is the brightest star of the sky, and main star to Canis Major, the Great Dog. Sirius is a bluish AIVm star. It interestingly has a feeble companion which seems to have been known to the Dogons, a people of Western Africa, who never had any mean to know that. Sirius is 8.7 light-years away, which is the main reason -along with that it's luminous too- why it's the brightest of our stars. 1.7 Sun radii. The name 'Sirius' came from the Greek 'seirios', meaning 'glowing', or 'scorching', through Latin 'sirius', 'ardent'. The heliacal rise of Sirius (the heliacal rise of a bright star is when it comes again to rise sufficiently ahead of the Sun, East, to become visible in the sky at dawn) in Egypt was heralding the floods of the Nile river, thus the calendar there, as for the Greeks, it was pointing to the beginning of the hot days of summer, and feared for its supposed bad influence upon men and plants (that was taken again, partially, by the Romans, leading to the word 'canicule', from 'canis', 'the dog', as Sirius was belonging to Canis Major, the Great Dog). Among the Polynesians, Sirius marked the beginning of winter as, generally, it was a star which was much used in terms of navigation in the Pacific Ocean. A lot of civilizations, on the other hand, made a link between Sirius and a dog

Spica

a Vir, 67, HR 5056, HD 116658, mag. 0.98, northern hemisphere
Other names: Spica Virginis, Alaraph. Spica, which means "the fly" in Latin is the main star of Virgo, the Virgin. Spica is a double star with a B1III-IV and a B2V component. Spica is bluish and has a radius of 6.6 Sun radii as it's located at 260 light-years from us

Vega

a Lyr, 3, HR 7001, HD 172167, mag. 0.03, northern hemisphere
Other names: Harp Star, Fidis. Vega is the main star to the small constellation Lyra, the Lyre. With Deneb of the Swan and Altair of the Eagle, it forms the Summer Triangle, this distinctive pattern of northern summer skies. Vega is bluish-white. It's a A05a star. It's bright because it's close to us, at about 25 light-years. 2 Sun radii. Vega was the Polaris some 14,000 years ago as it will be that again in 12,000 years from now. Vega has an oblate shape due to it swift rotation about itself. The name 'Vega' maybe is of Arabic origin, from 'al-nasr al-waki', 'the swooping eagle -or vulture'). By the Romans, when Vega set was determining the beginning of fall. Vega, with Altair, is part of the Chinese legend of the shepherd and the fairy who are separated in the sky by the Milky Way