36 Best known Stars in the Universe

All of the best known stars in the universe are masses of gases that radiate light, mostly hydrogen and helium. They can be found at extremely high temperatures. Nuclear processes occur within their interiors.

We only see the other stars as extremely small light dots at night because they are so far away from us. They appear to be stationary, with the same relative location in the skies year after year. But this is not the case; in actuality, all of these stars are in fast motion, albeit at such large distances that their positions shift only over decades.

What are the best known Stars in the Universe?

The number of known stars in the universe is believed to be around 8,000, with half in each hemisphere. During the night, only 2,000 may be seen at once, with the rest covered by air haze, especially towards the horizon and in low light.

Astronomers estimate the Milky Way galaxy, which contains the Sun, has hundreds of billions of stars.

A typical star, such as our Sun, has a visible surface known as the photosphere, an atmosphere filled with heated gases, a more diffuse corona, and a stream of particles known as the stellar wind above them.

Other known stars in the universe are likely to have cooler parts of the photosphere, known as sunspots. This has been proven by interferometry in some large nearby stars.

Although the internal structure of stars cannot be directly observed, research indicates that convection currents, density, and temperature increase until they reach the core, when thermonuclear explosions occur.

The best known stars in the universe are mostly composed of hydrogen and helium, with tiny amounts of heavier elements.

What is the closest Star to the Solar System?

Individual stars seen in the sky are those in our galaxy, the Milky Way, that are closest to the solar system. Proxima Centauri, one of the three stars that make up the triple star Alpha Centauri, is the closest, at roughly 40 billion kilometers from Earth.

This is a three-star system located 4.3 light-years from Earth and visible exclusively from the southern hemisphere. The brightest star, dubbed “Alpha Centaurus A,” is as luminous as our Sun.

Alpha Centauri, often called as Rigil Kentaurus, is found in the constellation Centaurus. To the naked eye, Alpha Centauri appears as a single star with an apparent magnitude of -0.3, making it the third brightest star visible from the southern hemisphere.

The two brightest stars, Alpha Centauri A and B, have apparent magnitudes of -0.01 and 1.33, respectively, as examined via a telescope, and circle around each other during an 80-year period.

The fainter star, Alpha Centauri C, has an apparent brightness of 11.05 and orbits around its companions for approximately one million years. Alpha Centauri C is also known as Proxima Centauri since it is the closest star to the Solar System.

The photographic study of star spectra began in 1885 at the Harvard College Observatory by astronomer Edward Pickering and was completed by his colleague Annie J. Cannon.

This investigation led to the revelation that star spectra are organized in a continuous series based on the strength of specific absorption lines. The observations offer information on the ages and degrees of development of the many stars.

Classification of the best known Stars in the Universe

The many phases in the spectral sequence, denoted by the letters O, B, A, F, F, G, K, and M, allow for a thorough categorization of the best known stars in the universe. Subscripts 0 through 9 are used to designate model successions within each class.

Class O: Lines for helium, oxygen, and nitrogen, as well as hydrogen. It is made up of highly hot stars that have both brilliant and dark lines in their spectra of hydrogen and helium.

Class B: The greatest strength of the helium lines is reached in subdivision B2, and the intensity gradually decreases as one moves to higher subdivisions. The strength of the hydrogen lines rises consistently throughout all of the subdivisions. Epsilon Orionis is the one of the best known stars in the universe, that stands in for this particular group.

Class A: This category includes the so-called hydrogen stars, which may be identified by spectra that are dominated by the presence of hydrogen absorption lines. Sirius is an example of a typical member of this group of stars.

Class F: In this particular group, the ‘H’ and ‘K’ lines of calcium as well as the ‘characteristic’ lines of hydrogen may be seen to great effect. A famous F-class star is Delta Aquilae.

Class G: This group contains stars that have prominent calcium H and K lines but have hydrogen lines that are less prominent. The spectra of a number of other metals, most notably iron, may also be seen. Because the Sun is a member of this category, stars classified as G are sometimes referred to as “solar-type stars.”

Class K: Strong calcium lines may be seen in stars, and additional lines can be used to infer the existence of other metals. Arthur is a representative of the members of this group.

Bands that indicate the presence of metal oxides, particularly those of titanium oxide, predominate in spectra. The intensity of light at the violet end of the spectrum is lower than that of K stars. The star Betelgeuse is representative of this cluster as a whole.

List of the best known Stars in the Universe

1. Alcor: A faintly visible star in Ursa Major that, together with Mizar, forms a double system observable to the naked eye.
2. Aldebaran: Taurus star a, with an apparent brightness of 1.1, is one of the brightest stars in the universe. It is 53 light-years from Earth and has a brightness 90 times that of the Sun. It is also known as the Bull’s eye or heart.
3. Algol: Perseus b is a star in the constellation Perseus. It is a double system with a rotation period of 69 hours that appears to be a variable, but in reality it is an eclipsing binary, which means that its periodic fluctuations in brightness are caused by the mutual interposition of its components.
4. Arthur: Boyero’s star a, situated in the extension of Ursa Major’s tail. It has a diameter of 22 times that of the Sun, is of spectral type K0, and has a visual magnitude of 0.2.
5. Betelgeuse: The brightest and reddest star in the constellation Orion, with a brightness ranging from 0.2 to 0.9. It has a period of 2.07 days and is a semi-regular variable. It is one of the best known stars in the universe.
6. Goat: The brightest star in the constellation Cochero, with a spectral type of G, and the fourth brightest star in the sky, with an apparent brightness of 0.2.
7. Cabrillas: Stars that may be seen inside the Pleiades group.
8. Canicule: At the moment, we refer to the brightest star in the universe, located in the Can Major constellation as Sirius.
9. Capella: The brightest and most prominent star in the constellation Cochero, with a brightness of 1.
10. Castor: One of the stars that make up the constellation Gemini. It is a double star with a period of 350 years, and the individual magnitudes of its components are 2.9 and 2, respectively.
11. Deneb: A star that may be found in the Swan constellation. It is a supergiant with a magnitude of 1.3 and is approximately 1,000 light-years away from our planet.
12. Denébola: Magnitude 2 and the second most significant star (b) in the constellation Leo.
13. Spike: The brightest and best-known star in the constellation Virgo. It is a dual system that lasts for a total of four days. It is around 160 a.l. from the surface of the Earth, and it possesses a magnitude of 1.21 and a spectral type of B2.
14. Pole Star: A star that is less than one degree away from the celestial pole in the boreal region and serves as a good reference for determining the location of north. The star is now classified as a magnitude 2 and may be found in the constellation Ursa Minor. However, because of a phenomenon known as precession, the star Vega will have moved into this location by the year 13,000.
15. Formalhaut: The brightest and best-known star in the Southern Fish constellation. It has a magnitude of 1.3 and is classified as a member of the spectral class A3; its location is at 23 a.l. In the fall, those in the northern hemisphere will be able to see it.
16. Lynx: The brightest star in the constellation of Lynx, found in the northern hemisphere, between those of the Piglet and the Big Dipper, south of the Giraffe, and north of Cancer. The star has a magnitude of three and is the brightest star in the constellation.
17. Markab: A star in the constellation Perseus with a magnitude of 2.6 and a spectral type A; this star’s spectral type is A, and its magnitude.
18. Menkar: A star in the constellation Whale that has a magnitude of 2 and, along with Aldebaran and Rigel, makes up a triangle.
19. Mira Ceti: M-type stellar spectral classification; located in the constellation of the Whale. It is the prototypical example of long-period variable stars, which have amplitudes and periods that are highly unpredictable.
20. Mirach or Mirak: A star of the spectral class M and magnitude 2.4, Andromeda is the constellation to which it belongs.
21. Mirfak: One of the stars that make up the constellation Perseus. The object possesses a magnitude of 1.9 and is classified as spectral class F.
22. Mizar: Double zeta star located in Ursa Major that, together with Alcor, makes up one half of a pair that can be seen with the naked eye. It has a magnitude of 2.4 and is classified as spectral type A. It is made up of two different halves that are uneven in size and are separated by 14.5 degrees.
23. Pearl: A star in the constellation Corona Borealis, which may be found 72 light-years away from our planet. It is accompanied by a buddy that has a duration of 17.4 days as it orbits around it.
24. Pollux: A star that is a part of the constellation Gemini and is situated 35 light-years distant from Earth. It has a magnitude of 1.2 and a brightness that is approximately 34 times that of the Sun.
25. Procyon: F-type spectral line emanating from a star in the constellation Can Minor, which is found 11 light-years away from our home planet. It has a remarkable proper motion (1.25″ each year) and forms a binary system with a partner that has a magnitude 13.5 larger than it does. Its magnitude is 0.5.
26. Regulus: A star that can be found in the constellation Leo and is situated 67 light-years away from Earth. It has a magnitude of 1.3 and is classified as a B type of spectral emission.
27. Rigel: Orion’s Star b is approximately 540 light-years away from Earth and is part of the constellation Orion. It has a magnitude of 0.34 and is classified as a B type of spectral emission.
28. RR Lyra: Cepheid variable star; the prototypical member of the pulsing cepheid star class.
29. Rukbah: Cassiopeia’s brightest star, with a brightness of 2.8 and a place in the constellation Cassiopeia.
30. Scheat: spectral class M star with a magnitude of 2.6 that may be found in the constellation Pegasus.
31. Schédir, Shédar or Shédir: Cassiopeia’s star an is the brightest in the constellation. It is a variable that falls under the category of spectral type K, and its magnitude may range anywhere from 2.1 to 2.6.
32. Sirius: The brightest star in the universe and the first star of the Can Major constellation (magnitude 1.58). It has a spectral class of A and is part of a double star system with another white dwarf star called Sirius B. This system has a period of fifty years.
33. Sirrah: Andromeda’s star a has a magnitude of 2.2, and its spectral type is A. It is located in the constellation Andromeda.
34. Toliman: The star Centaurus A, which is part of the constellation Centaurus. It is a binary system, with one of the planets in the system resembling the Sun in many respects.
35. Trapezium: Immersed in the Great Orion Nebula is a multiple q star in the constellation Orion. The four primary components of this star have magnitudes of 6, 7, and 7.5 respectively (M 42).
36. Vega: The brightest star in the northern sky is Lyra’s Star A, which is part of the constellation Lyra. It is a member of the spectral class A and has a magnitude of 0.14. It is situated 26 light-years from our home planet. In the past, 14,000 years ago, it was the pole star, and in the future, 12,000 years from now, it will be again.

These are the 36 best known stars in the universe. There are billions of other stars we don’t know about yet. You should just remember the size of the universe.

Conclusion

Some of the heavenly bodies that may be seen in the night sky are more well known than others, despite the fact that there are uncountable billions of them. The vast majority of them are stars that can be seen with the naked eye and shine with an intensity that is unparalleled by other celestial objects.

Because of this, the vast majority of them have a long history of being seen and studied by humans, and they most likely have an important position in ancient folklore.

It has been hypothesized that counting the best known stars in the universe would be analogous to attempting to count the number of individual grains of sand on a beach on Earth. It’s possible that we could achieve that by calculating the average depth of the sand layer and measuring the total surface area of the beach.

Due to the size of the universe, not all stars have been observed yet. But we will update the best known stars in the universe and add more stars if you miss any important stars. Just leave us a comment!

We hope you liked our list of the best known stars in the universe.