The Ten Best and Brightest Trivia Quiz

Answer: Sirius

Sirius means "scorcher" in Latin, and in Greek, "seirios" means "glowing", which suits the brightest star. The brighter star is Sirius A, while its dimmer companion is Sirius B. Sirius has an apparent magnitude of about -1.46, making it almost twice as bright as the next brightest star, and is part of the constellation Canis Major.

In ancient days, it was thought that much of summer was so hot because Sirius, the Dog Star, added its own heat to the Sun's. Hence, the expression of Dog Days of Summer. Its appearance preceded the flooding of the Nile.

Answer: Canopus

Canopus is in Carina, which, along with Vela and Puppis, comprise the Argo, a set of three Southern constellations representing the mythological ship (some also include Pyxis with this set). Canopus' apparent magnitude is approximately -.72.

This star has nothing to do with canopic jars, which in ancient Egypt held the organs of a mummified person. However, it is likely named after the mythological person Canopus, a ship's captain for a king of Sparta, which fits the boat theme.

Answer: One of the closest stars to Earth besides the Sun

Rigil Kentaurus (apparent magnitude of -.27) is also called Alpha Centauri A and is located in Centaurus. It's a relatively close 4.3 light years away. Like Sirius, it's a binary star, with the other designated as Alpha Centauri B. Alpha Centauri C, aka Proxima Centauri, is the nearest non-Sun star to Earth at 4.2 light years away. However, you'll need a telescope to see it, as its apparent magnitude is over 11, too faint to see with the naked eye.

Apparent magnitude is an object's brightness as viewed from Earth. The lower the number (even into the negatives), the brighter the object. It is distinct from absolute magnitude, what an object's brightness would be as viewed from a distance of 10 parsecs. The Sun's apparent magnitude is -26.7 while its absolute magnitude is about 4.8.

Answer: Bootes

Arcturus is a red giant in Bootes, the Herdsman. You can find Arcturus by following the arc of the stars that comprise the Big Dipper. The arc eventually leads to Virgo's star Spica, one of the twenty brightest stars. Arcturus has an apparent magnitude of -.04

Answer: Vega

Deneb in Cygnus (the Swan) and Altair in Aquila (the Eagle) make up the other two stars in the Summer Triangle, a set of three bright stars found in the Northern sky. Lyra is the Lyre. Vega was the North Star about 12,000 years ago (Polaris is the current one) and was the first star besides the Sun to be photographed. Vega's apparent magnitude is .03.

Answer: Capella

One pair of binaries are yellow giants while the other set comprises two fainter red dwarfs. Capella is the brightest star in Auriga, the Charioteer, located near Taurus and Orion. The overall apparent magnitude of these stars is .08.

Answer: Orion

Orion is the Hunter; he fends off Taurus the Bull with the help of his dogs, Canis Major and Canis Minor. Rigel is a blue supergiant that makes up one of Orion's legs. It is bright enough to blot out another binary star system, comprising Rigel B and Rigel C, that would normally be visible through a telescope. Rigel is over 1400 light years away and has an apparent magnitude of .12.

The Orion Nebula is located below Orion's belt, three bright stars that form a near-straight line.

Answer: It's one of only two main stars in the constellation.

While Canis Minor contains over a dozen fainter stars, only Procyon and Gomeisa are considered major stars. Like nearby Sirius, Procyon is a binary star, with the main Procyon A vastly outshining the fainter Procyon B. Its name means "before the dog", as it appears in the night sky before Sirius, the Dog Star. Procyon's apparent magnitude is .38.

Answer: Eridanus

Eridanus the River (located near Orion) is visible from both hemispheres. Achernar (apparent magnitude .46) is a binary star; the brighter star is blue. It is more oblate than spherical in shape because of its rapid rotational rate.

Answer: Betelgeuse

Betelgeuse in Orion is also one of the largest visible stars; if it were this solar system's Sun, it would engulf the four terrestrial planets. Along with Sirius and Procyon, it forms the Winter Triangle, three bright stars that dominate the Northern night sky in winter.

As a red supergiant, it will go supernova one day and temporarily become the brightest object in the night sky. Its apparent magnitude is .5.