Sirius vs Vega
| Property |
Sirius
|
Vega
|
| Designation |
9Alp CMa |
3Alp Lyr |
| Constellation |
Canis Major |
Lyra |
| Spectral Class |
Class A — A-type (White) |
Class A — A-type (White) |
| Apparent Magnitude |
-1.44 |
+0.03 |
| Absolute Magnitude |
1.45
|
0.60
|
| Distance |
8.6 ly |
25.0 ly |
| Mass |
N/A
|
N/A
|
| Radius |
N/A
|
N/A
|
| Temperature |
N/A
|
N/A
|
| Luminosity |
N/A
|
N/A
|
Key Differences
- ◆ Both are brilliant white A-type stars and among the most prominent in the northern sky.
- ◆ Sirius is the brightest star overall at magnitude −1.46; Vega is the fifth-brightest at magnitude 0.03.
- ◆ Sirius is 8.6 light-years away; Vega is 25 light-years from the Sun.
- ◆ Vega was the original zero-point for stellar magnitude; Sirius sets the scale of brightness.
- ◆ Sirius has a white dwarf companion; Vega has a prominent debris disk but no known companion.