Canopus vs Rigel
Catalogues place Canopus as an F-type star and Rigel as a B-type star in Orion. Only 309 light-years separate the Sun from Canopus; Rigel sits 2.8 times further out at 863. Set side by side at equal distance the ranking changes — absolute magnitudes of −6.93 and −5.50 leave Rigel roughly 3.7 times the more luminous.
Property comparison
| Property | Canopus | Rigel |
|---|---|---|
| Designation | Alp Car | 19Bet Ori |
| Constellation | N/A | Orion |
| Spectral Class | Class F — F-type (Yellow-White) | Class B — B-type (Blue-White) |
| Apparent Magnitude | -0.62 | +0.18 |
| Absolute Magnitude | -5.50 | -6.93 |
| Distance | 309 ly | 863 ly |
| Mass | N/A | N/A |
| Radius | N/A | N/A |
| Temperature | N/A | N/A |
| Luminosity | N/A | N/A |
Full data for each star: Canopus · Rigel
Key differences
Key Differences
- ◆ Canopus is an F-type bright giant; Rigel is a B-type blue supergiant — they differ greatly in spectral type.
- ◆ Both are extremely luminous: Canopus ~10,700 L☉ and Rigel ~120,000 L☉.
- ◆ Canopus is used for spacecraft navigation; Rigel is a landmark star in Orion.
- ◆ Rigel is hotter at ~12,100 K versus Canopus at ~7,400 K.
- ◆ Canopus is the second-brightest star in the sky; Rigel is the seventh-brightest.