Canopus vs Rígel
Catalogues place Canopus as an F-type star and Rígel as a B-type star in Orion. Only 309 light-years separate the Sun from Canopus; Rígel 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 Rígel roughly 3.7 times the more luminous.
Property comparison
| Property | Canopus | Rígel |
|---|---|---|
| Designação | Alp Car | 19Bet Ori |
| Constelação | N/A | Orion |
| Classe Espectral | Class F — F-type (Yellow-White) | Class B — B-type (Blue-White) |
| Magnitude Aparente | -0.62 | +0.18 |
| Magnitude Absoluta | -5.50 | -6.93 |
| Distância | 309 ly | 863 ly |
| Massa | N/A | N/A |
| Raio | N/A | N/A |
| Temperatura | N/A | N/A |
| Luminosidade | N/A | N/A |
Full data for each star: Canopus · Rígel
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.