Famous Stars & Distances
Explore some of the most notable stars in our night sky and discover just how far away they truly are.
Notable Neighbors
Proxima Centauri
Distance: 4.24 light-years (1.30 pc)
The closest known star to the Sun. It is a faint red dwarf located in the southern constellation of Centaurus.
Sirius A
Distance: 8.60 light-years (2.64 pc)
The brightest star in Earth's night sky. It's a main-sequence star roughly twice as massive as the Sun.
Polaris (North Star)
Distance: ~433 light-years (~133 pc)
Famous for holding nearly still in our sky while the entire northern sky revolves around it.
Distance Reference Catalog
| Star Name | Constellation | Light-Years (ly) | Parsecs (pc) | Star Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | N/A | 0.0000158 ly | 0.0000048 pc | G-type Main Sequence |
| Alpha Centauri A/B | Centaurus | 4.37 ly | 1.34 pc | G-type / K-type |
| Barnard's Star | Ophiuchus | 5.96 ly | 1.83 pc | Red Dwarf |
| Vega | Lyra | 25.0 ly | 7.68 pc | A-type Main Sequence |
| Betelgeuse | Orion | ~548 ly | ~168 pc | Red Supergiant |
| Rigel | Orion | ~860 ly | ~260 pc | Blue Supergiant |
| Deneb | Cygnus | ~2,615 ly | ~802 pc | Blue-white Supergiant |