Betelgeuse vs Sirius
| Property |
Betelgeuse
|
Sirius
|
| Designation |
58Alp Ori |
9Alp CMa |
| Constellation |
Orion |
Canis Major |
| Spectral Class |
Class M — M-type (Red) |
Class A — A-type (White) |
| Apparent Magnitude |
+0.45 |
-1.44 |
| Absolute Magnitude |
-5.47
|
1.45
|
| Distance |
498 ly |
8.6 ly |
| Mass |
N/A
|
N/A
|
| Radius |
N/A
|
N/A
|
| Temperature |
N/A
|
N/A
|
| Luminosity |
N/A
|
N/A
|
Key Differences
- ◆ Sirius is an A-type main-sequence star; Betelgeuse is an M-type red supergiant nearing the end of its life.
- ◆ Betelgeuse has a radius of ~887 R☉ — over 500 times larger than Sirius at 1.71 R☉.
- ◆ Sirius is only 8.6 light-years away; Betelgeuse is about 700 light-years distant.
- ◆ Betelgeuse is luminosity-dominant at ~126,000 L☉ versus Sirius at 25.4 L☉.
- ◆ Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky; Betelgeuse is a famous supernova candidate.