SkyRef / Stars

Canopus

Magnitude -0.72, white. One of the very brightest stars in the entire sky.

The numbers

Magnitude-0.72
Colourwhite
Right ascension6.399h
Declination-52.70°
B−V index0.15
CatalogueHR 2326

What you are looking at

Canopus shines at magnitude -0.72, making it one of the very brightest stars in the entire sky. Its B−V colour index of 0.15 makes it white to the eye, corresponding to a surface temperature of around 8,000 K.

It sits at right ascension 6.40 hours and declination -52.7°. It lies south of the celestial equator and sits low for northern observers, better the further south you go.

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Other named stars

SiriusCanopusArcturusRigil KentaurusVegaCapellaRigelProcyonAchernarBetelgeuseHadarAltairAldebaranAntaresSpicaPolluxFomalhautMimosaDenebAcruxRegulusAdharaElnathAlphardAlnilamDenebolaCastorAlgolDubheKaus AustralisAlkaidPolarisAlnitakCaphMirachBellatrix