Канопус vs Ригель
Catalogues place Канопус as an F-type star and Ригель as a B-type star in Orion. Only 309 light-years separate the Sun from Канопус; Ригель 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 Ригель roughly 3.7 times the more luminous.
Property comparison
| Property | Канопус | Ригель |
|---|---|---|
| Обозначение | Alp Car | 19Bet Ori |
| Созвездие | N/A | Orion |
| Спектральный класс | Class F — F-type (Yellow-White) | Class B — B-type (Blue-White) |
| Видимая звёздная величина | -0.62 | +0.18 |
| Абсолютная звёздная величина | -5.50 | -6.93 |
| Расстояние | 309 ly | 863 ly |
| Масса | N/A | N/A |
| Радиус | N/A | N/A |
| Температура | N/A | N/A |
| Светимость | N/A | N/A |
Full data for each star: Канопус · Ригель
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.