Alpha Pavonis

At apparent magnitude 1.94, Peacock is the brightest star of Pavo by Bayer designation, bearing the Alpha letter of that southern constellation. It belongs to the hot B spectral class, and its negative colour index of −0.118 confirms the blue-white cast expected of such high-temperature stars, whose surfaces are far warmer than the Sun's. Lying about 179 light-years distant, Peacock has an absolute magnitude of −1.76, marking it as intrinsically luminous — considerably brighter than its apparent rank alone would indicate. The gap of some 3.7 magnitudes between its apparent and absolute brightness is a direct expression of that distance. Its blue-white light and southerly position make Peacock a consistent naked-eye marker within the constellation of the same name.