main-sequence star · A1V
Sirius
Sirius is a blue-white main-sequence star (spectral type A1V) about 8.6 light-years away. With an apparent magnitude of -1.44 it is one of the brightest stars in the whole sky.
The brightest star in the night sky. It has an invisible companion, the white dwarf Sirius B.
Its light output is roughly 20 times that of the Sun (a rough estimate in visible light, calculated from brightness and distance).
From Germany (52° N) it rises and sets; it is best seen in the evening in December.
Key facts
- Distance
- ≈ 8.6 light-years
- Spectral type
- A1V (main-sequence star)
- Colour
- Blue-white
- Apparent magnitude
- -1.44 mag
- Luminosity
- ≈ 20 × Sun
- Position
- Right ascension 6h 45m, declination -16.7°
More well-known stars
Data: Hipparcos / HYG catalogue (CC BY-SA 4.0). Luminosity and visibility are calculated estimates.