Astronomy for Young Folks

Table III

The Twenty Brightest Stars in the Heavens

Name	Magnitude	Color	On Meridian 9 P. M.	Passes through the Zenith in Latitude	Distance in Light-Years
Sirius, Alpha Canis Majoris	-1.6	White	February 12	17 S.	8.8
Canopus,3 Alpha Argus	-0.9	White	February 8	53 S.	?
Alpha Centauri3	0.1	Yellow	June 15	61 S.	4.3
Vega, Alpha Lyræ	0.1	White	August 15	39 N.	40
Capella, Alpha Aurigæ	0.2	Yellow	January 20	46 N.	38
Arcturus, Alpha Boötis	0.2	Orange	June 10	20 N.	21
Rigel, Beta Orionis	0.8	Bluish-White	January 20	8 S.	?
Procyon, Alpha Canis Minoris	0.5	White	February 26	5 N.	12
Achernar,3 Alpha Eridani	0.6	Bluish-White	December 2	58 S.	80
Beta Centauri	0.9	Bluish-White	June 7	60 S.	100
Betelgeuze, Alpha Orionis	Var. 1.0-1.4	Red	January 31	7 N.	150-270?
Altair, Alpha Aquilæ	0.9	White	September 4	9 N.	16
Alpha Crucis3 (Double Star)	1.6-2.1	Bluish-White	May 14	63 S.	220
Aldebaran, Alpha Tauri	1.1	Red	January 11	16 N.	27
Pollux, Beta Geminorum	1.2	Yellow	February 28	28 N.	35
Spica, Alpha Virginis	1.2	Bluish-White	May 29	11 S.	?
Antares, Alpha Scorpii	1.2	Red	July 12	26 S.	850
Fomalhaut, Alpha Piscis Australis	1.3	White	October 24	30 S.	25
Deneb, Alpha Cygni	1.3	White	September 19	45 N.	?
Regulus, Alpha Leonis	1.3	White	April 8	12 N.	32