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With thanks to all, STARS celebrates over 3.1 million visitors!


STARS and STAR OF THE WEEK

Updated Each Friday With A New Star

Star Count: 608

Created by Jim Kaler, Prof. Emeritus of Astronomy, University of Illinois

Welcome! STARS presents a comprehensive suite of pages that tell the stories of stars and their constellations. Please explore and enjoy. The stars listed below have all appeared as a Star of the Week on Skylights. The first two tables list the stars alphabetically by proper name (where available, otherwise by Greek letter name, catalogue number, or variable star designation). Stars known principally by Flamsteed number are listed in the third table. The fourth table then arranges the stars by Greek letter name within their parent constellations, which are linked to labelled photographs that show the stars' locations.

STARS now contains:

Note to readers: The temperatures of the stars are in degrees Kelvin, which are centigrade (Celsius) degrees above absolute zero, -273 degrees C (-459 degrees F). Stellar and orbital radii are commonly given in Astronomical Units, where the AU is the average distance between the Earth and Sun (technically the semi-major axis of the Earth's orbit), equal to 150 million kilometers or 93 million miles, or in solar radii, where the solar radius is 696,000 km (432,000 miles). Stellar distances are in light years, where the light year is the distance light travels in one year, equal to 63,270 AU (and 0.3066 parsecs, where the parsec equals 206,265 AU, 3.2616 light years). Unless a star is too far away, or is determined by other more precise means, its distance is taken from the original Hipparcos parallax catalogue. Unless otherwise stated, stellar luminosities are total (bolometric) luminosities that include ultraviolet and infrared radiation.

PLACES TO GO

Skylights presents the weekly sky and a photo of the week. Stars arranged by spectral class and variable star class using proper names. Stars arranged by spectral class and variable star class using Greek letter names.
The Natures of the Stars provides a linked introduction to stars and star lives. SPECTRA provides a linked and illustrated introduction to the spectra of the stars. The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram presents the different kinds of stars and an introduction to star lives.
The Constellations presents a complete linked list along locations and brightest stars. Constellation Maps shows the locations of the constellations on six charts. Tour the Milky Way as seen from the northern hemisphere.
The 151 Brightest Stars, through magnitude 2.90. The Planet Project shows stars with orbiting planets. Visit The Planetary Nebulae, with images from the past and present.
See prominent star clusters and enjoy Poor Blue Straggler. Take a trip to the Galaxy's Anticenter, its variables and clusters. See a deep photo and naked-eye polar stars in the Polar Project.
Look at pages from classical star atlases. Read more on stars in Stellar Stories. See Measuring the Sky to learn about the celestial sphere.
Read a brief discussion of Star Names. Know the Greek alphabet, used in naming stars. See planets move against the background stars.
Find out what happened in astronomy on the Astronomy Update Pages. Skylights has an Archive and Photo Gallery back to September 25, 1998. See sunsets, rainbows, the Moon and planets, and other sky phenomena in Sunlight.
Go from Day Into Night, with 83 linked illustrations. The Aurora has an explanation and images. See aspects of the Moon at Moon Light.
Love the stars? The StarGazer may be playing in a planetarium near you. The History and Philosophy of the site. Take a ride aboard Asteroid 17581 Kaler (1998 JK).
Examine a variety of Jim Kaler's books about stars.

See SG Logo

ASPSupport science literacy by joining the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, an international organization that is among the world's premier providers of astro education. Get Mercury and a variety of other benefits; see some excerpts.


NEW! THE PLANETARY NEBULAE has descriptions and pictures from the past and present. Latest entries: NGC 2022 and NGC 6537.

NEW on Stellar Stories: "The Lizard and the Lynx" (Lacerta and Lynx).

Find out what happened last year in Astronomy Update 2008.

Presenting three audio courses with 70-100 page study guides, narrated and written by Jim Kaler.
Heavens Above: Stars, Constellations, and the Sky from Recorded Books. Astronomy: Earth, Sky, and Planets, is available from Recorded Books. Astronomy: Stars, Galaxies, and the Universe, is also now available from Recorded Books.
Astronomy: Earth, Sky, and Planets is published as Vault of the Heavens: Exploring the Solar System's Place in the Universe by Barnes and Noble.

The new star, for June 26, 2009, is 3 Vul (3 Vulpeculae), the Observer's Nightmare.

The past ten stars were, for:

NEW constellation image: far northwestern Bootes.

Updates within the past year are indicated in the tables below by an asterisk (*); stars with illustrations are marked by "&," those with planets in the Planet Project by "#."

Latest updates: Deneb (Alpha Cygni), Fomalhaut (Alpha Piscis Austrini), and Aldebaran (Alpha Tauri).

Edasich #

STARS: A-K

Acamar Achernar Achird Acrux Acubens Adhafera
Adhara AE Aur Ain # Aladfar Albaldah Albali
Albireo Alchiba Alcor Alcyone Aldebaran* Alderamin
Al Dhanab Al Dhibain "Posterior" Al Dhibain "Prior" Alfecca Meridiana Alfirk Algedi
Algenib Algenubi Algieba Algol & Algorab Alhena
Alifa al Farkadain Alioth Al Kab Alkaid Alkalurops Al Kaphrah
Alkes Almaaz & Almach Al Nair Alnasl Alnilam
Alnitak Al Niyat (Sigma) Al Niyat (Tau) Alpha Ant Alpha Aps Alpha Ara
Alpha Cae Alpha Cam Alpha Cha Alpha Cir Alpha Dor Alpha For
Alpha Hor Alpha Hyi Alpha Lac Alpha Lyn Alpha Men Alpha Mic
Alpha Mon Alpha Mus Alpha Oct Alpha Pic Alpha Pyx Alpha Ret
Alpha Scl Alpha Sct Alpha Sext Alpha Tel Alpha Tuc Alpha Vol
Alphard Alphecca (Gemma) Alpheratz Alrescha Alsafi Alsciaukat
Alshain Altais (Nodus II) Altair & Al Tarf Al Thalimain Posterior Al Thalimain Prior
Aludra Alula Australis & Alula Borealis Alya Al Zirr Ankaa
Anser Antares Anwar al Farkadain Arcturus Arkab Posterior Arkab Prior
Arneb Ascella Asellus Borealis Asellus Primus Asellus Tertius Asmidiske
Aspidiske Atik Atlas Atria Avior Azha
Barnard's Star Baten Kaitos Beid Bellatrix Beta Ara Beta Cam
Beta Com Beta CrA Beta Dor & Beta Gru Beta Hya Beta Hyi
Beta LMi & Beta Lup Beta Mon Beta Pic Beta Sct Beta TrA
Beta Tri Beta Tuc Betelgeuse Canopus Capella* & Caph
Castor* & Cebalrai Celaeno Chara Chertan Chi Aqr
Chi Car Chi Cyg Chi Eri Chi Her Chi Lup Chi-1 Ori &
Chi-2 Ori Cor Caroli Cursa Cygnus X-1 & Dabih Delta And
Delta Aql Delta Aur & Delta Boo Delta Cen Delta Cep Delta Cet
Delta-1 CMi Delta Crb Delta Crt Delta Cru Delta Cyg Delta Del
Delta Equ Delta-1 Gru Delta-2 Gru Delta Her Delta-1 Lyr & Delta-2 Lyr &
Delta Per Delta Sct Delta Ser Delta Sge & Delta Tri Delta Vel &
Delta Vir Deneb &* Deneb Algedi Deneb Al Okab Aus Deneb Al Okab Bor Deneb Dulfim
Deneb Kaitos Denebola Diadem Dschubba* & Dubhe
Electra Elnath Eltanin Enif Eps And Eps Cen
Eps Cep Eps CrA Eps Cru Eps Eri # Eps Her Eps Hya
Eps Ind Eps Lyr & Eps Mon & Eps Mus Eps Per Eps Sco
Eps UMi Errai # Eta Aql & Eta Aqr Eta Car Eta Cen
Eta CMi Eta Crv & Eta Her Eta Leo Eta Per Eta Sco
Eta Sgr Fomalhaut &#* Fum al Samakah Furud Gacrux Gamma Ara
Gamma Cas Gamma CrB & Gamma Del Gamma Dor Gamma Her Gamma Hya
Gamma Hyi Gamma Lep Gamma Mic Gamma-2 Nor Gamma Per Gamma Phe
Gamma Psc Gamma Ser Gamma Sge Gamma TrA Gamma Tri Gamma Vol
Garnet Star & Giausar Gienah Corvi Gienah Cygni Girtab Gomeisa
Gorgonea Tertia Graffias (Acrab) Grumium Hadar (Agena) & Haedus I & Haedus II &
Hamal Heze HD 8734 Psc # HD 20367 Ari # HD 50554 Gem # HD 188753 Cyg #
HD 189733 Vul # HD 195019 Del # HD 210277 Aqr # Hind's Crimson & Homam HR 6 Phe #
HR 286 UMi & HR 306 Cep & HR 1107 Cep & HR 1988 Ori # HR 2447 CMa # HR 2622 Mon #
HR 2877 Gem # HR 3497 Vel # HR 4067 UMa # HR 4686 UMi & HR 6094 Sco # HR 6817 Dra #
HR 6907 Sgr # HR 7272 Lyr # HR 7291 Sgr # HR 7907 Del # HR 8799 Peg # HR 8938 Cep &
Hyadum I Hyadum II Hydor Iota Cas & Iota Cen Iota Cnc
Iota Gem Iota Her Iota Hor* # Iota Lep Iota Lib & Iota Per
Iota Psc Iota-1 Sco Iota-2 Sco Izar Jabbah Kaffaljidhma
Kakkab Kappa Cas Kappa-1 Cet & Kappa Cnc Kappa CrB # Kappa Dra
Kappa Psc Kappa Sco Kappa Ser Kappa Tau Kappa UMa Kaus Australis
Kaus Borealis Kaus Media Keid Kitalpha Kochab Kornephoros
Kraz Kullat Nunu Kuma Kurhah


STARS: L-Z

l Car L2 Pup La Superba Lambda And Lambda Boo Lambda Eri
Lambda Tau Lambda UMi & Lesath Maia Marfak-East & Marfak-West &
Marfik Markab Markeb Marsic Masym Matar
Mebsuta Megrez Meissa Mekbuda Menkalinan Menkar
Menkent Menkib Merak Merope Mesarthim Miaplacidus
Mimosa Minkar Mintaka Mira* Mirach Mirfak
Mirzam Mizar Mothallah Mu Ara # Mu Cet Mu Col
Mu Cru Mu Eri Mu Her Mu Ori & Mu-1 Sco Mu Vel
Muhlifain Muliphein Muphrid Muscida Na'ir al Saif Naos &*
Nashira Nekkar Nihal Nu And Nu Aqr & Nu Aur &
Nu Cep Nu CrB & Nu Eri Nu Gem Nu Hya Nu Oct
Nu Pup Nu Vir Nunki Nusakan Omega Cap Omega Eri
Omega Psc Omega Vir Omicron-1 CMa Omicron-2 CMa Omicron-1 = 31 Cyg & Omicron-2 = 32 Cyg &
Omicron Tau OV Cep & P Cyg & Peacock The Persian Phact
Phecda Pherkad Phi And & Phi Cas & Pi And & Pi Aur &
Pi Her Pi Men # Pi-4 Ori Pi-5 Ori & Pi-1 Peg Pi-2 Peg
Pi Pup Pi Sco & Pi-2 UMa # Plaskett's Star Pleione Polaris &
Polaris Australis Polaris Gal. Bor. Polis Pollux # Porrima Praecipua
Procyon Propus Proxima Cen Psi UMa Psi Vel q-1 Eri #
R Lyr & R Scuti & Rana Rasalas Rasalgethi & Rasalhague
Rastaban Regor Regulus* Rho Boo Rho Cas Rho CrB #
Rho Her Rho Leo Rho Oph Rho Sco Rigel Rigil Kentaurus
Rotanev Ruchbah & Rukbat RX Lep S = 15 Mon & Sabik
Sadachbia Sadalmelik Sadalsuud Sadr & Saif al Jabbar Saiph
Scheat Seat & Segin Seginus Sham Shaula
Shedar & Sheliak Sheratan Sigma Aql Sigma Boo Sigma CMa &
Sigma CrB Sigma Gem Sigma Ori Sirius Spica Sualocin
Subra & Suhail Sulafat The Sun Tabit Talitha
Tania Australis Tania Borealis Tarazed Tau Aur & Tau Boo # Tau Cet
Tau CMa Tau-4 Eri Tau-1 Gru # Tau Her Tau Ori Tau Per &
Tau Sgr Taygeta Tegmine & Tejat Theta Aql & Theta Aur
Theta Cap Theta Car Theta CrB Theta Dra Theta Oph Theta-1 Ori*
Theta UMa Thuban Tureis* Unukalhai Ups And # Ups Aur &
Ups UMa Vega & Vindemiatrix V Pup & VV Cep & VV Ori &
W Boo W Ori Wasat Wazn Wezen X Her &
X Per & X Sgr Xi Boo & Xi-1 Cet Xi Cyg & Xi Peg
Xi Ser Xi Tau Yed Posterior Yed Prior Yildun & YY Gem
Zaniah Zaurak Zavijava Zeta Aqr Zeta Boo Zeta Cap
Zeta Cas & Zeta Cen Zeta Cep Zeta Cyg & Zeta Her Zeta Hya
Zeta Lyr & Zeta Oph Zeta Per Zeta Phe Zeta Ret Zeta-1 Sco
Zeta Tau Zosma Zubenelgenubi Zubeneschamali Zubenhakrabi


STARS: FLAMSTEED NUMBERS

1 Gem 2 UMi & 3 Vul 6 Cas 6 Tri 8 Her 10 Dra=CU Dra 10 Lac 10 UMa &
12 Boo & 14 Her # 16 Cyg # 18 Sco 19 Cep 19 Psc 23 Lib # 23 UMa 24 UMi &
25 Ori 30 Her & 30 Tau 38 Lyn 41 Ari 47 UMa # 48 Lib 48 Per 51 Peg #
53 Per & 54 Psc # 55 Cnc # 61 Cyg 67 Oph 70 Oph & 70 Vir # 78 UMa & 79 Cet #
89 Her 94 Cet # 95 Her 109 Psc # 119=CE Tau


Constellations and their Stars


LINKS

To learn more about stars, constellations, and astronomy go to:

American Association of Variable Star Observers
The Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Chandra X-ray Observatory
The Constellations and their Stars
Earth and Sky, Skywatching
Earth and Sky, General Science
Hubble Space Telescope
MOST precision photometry satellite
Munich Astro Archiv Constellation Pages
The Mythology of the Constellations
The Night Sky Atlas
Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)
SolStation.com
UCSD Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences, Astronomy and Education Outreach
Universe Today-Space news from around the Internet, updated every weekday.
Windows to the Universe

SOURCES

The following sources were used to create the Stars of the Week. Thanks to the stellar researchers.

Allen, R. H., "Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning," Dover, New York, reprint, 1963
American Association of Variable Star Observers
The Astronomical Journal
The Astronomical Society of the Pacific Conference Series
Astronomy and Astrophysics: A European Journal
Astronomy and Astrophysics Abstracts, Springer, Heidelberg
Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series
The Astrophysical Journal
The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series
Becvar, A., Skalnate Pleso Atlas of the Heavens
Berry, A., "A Short History of Astronomy," Dover, New York, reprint, 1961
Terrell, D., Mukherjee, J. D., Wilson, R. E., "Binary Stars: A Pictorial Atlas," Krieger Publ., 1992
Burnham, R., Jr., Burnham's Celestial Handbook, Dover, New York, 1978
European Southern Observatory Southern Sky Survey
Hoffleit, D. and Jaschek, C., The Bright Star Catalogue, Fourth Revised Ed., Yale University Observatory, 1982
Hoffleit, D. and Warren, W. H., Jr., Yale Bright Star Catalogue, Fifth Revision, NASA ADC, 2002
The Hipparcos and Tycho Catalogues, European Space Agency, 1998
Information Bulletin on Variable Stars
Kaler, J. B., "Stars and their Spectra," Cambridge U. Press, 1989
Kaler, J. B., "Astronomy!," HarperCollins, New York, 1994
Kaler, J. B., "Extreme Stars," Cambridge U. Press, 2001
Kaler, J. B., "The Hundred Greatest Stars," Copernicus Books, New York, 2002
Kaler, J. B., "The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Stars," Cambridge U. Press, 2006
Kukarkin, B. V. et al., "General Catalogue of Variable Stars," Astr. Council Acad. Sci. USSR, Moscow, 1970
Kunitzsch, P. and Smart, T., "Short Guide to Modern Star Names/Derivations," Harrassowitz, Berlin, 1986
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
The Observatory
Observer's Handbook, Royal Astron. Soc. Canada, R. Bishop, ed, Toronto, U. Toronto Press
Palomar Sky Survey, Palomar Observatory/California Institute of Technology
Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
SIMBAD on the Web, CDS, University of Strasbourg
Sky and Telescope
Smyth, W. H. (rev. G. F. Chambers), "A Cycle of Celestial Objects," Clarendon, Oxford, 1881
Tirion, T., Sky Atlas 2000, Sky Publishing Corp., Cambridge, 1981
USNO Washington Double Star Catalog 2001.0, B.D. Mason, G.L.Wycoff, W.I.Hartkopf, G.G.Douglass, C.E.Worley
USNO Fifth Catalog of Orbits of Visual Binary Stars, W. I. Hartkopf, B. D. Mason, C. E. Worley
USNO Washington Double Star Catalog 2006.5, D. D. Mason, G. L. Wycoff, W. I. Hartkopf
USNO Sixth Catalog of Orbits of Visual Binary Stars, W. I. Hartkopf, B. D. Mason

Opening star image from the European Southern Observatory Southern Sky Survey.
Valid HTML 4.0! Copyright © James B. Kaler, all rights reserved. These contents are the property of the author and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the author's consent except in fair use for educational purposes. This page was last modified on 26 June, 2009. Thanks to reader number *.