Canopus is the second-brightest star in the night sky, a luminous yellow-white giant of the far south, long used by sailors and spacecraft to find their way.
At a glance
| type | yellow-white giant (class F) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 309 light-years (94.8 pc) |
| its light left it | 309 years ago |
| luminosity | 14,100 × the Sun |
| radius | 74.1 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 7,300 K |
| constellation | Carina (Keel) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Canopus
Canopus is a giant, a massive star that has left its main life and swollen far larger than the Sun. It is bright to us not because it is close, as Sirius is, but because it is so powerful: its light would outshine Sirius many times over if the two stood side by side.
It lies in Carina, the Keel, once part of the great ship Argo. The name is traditionally linked with Canopus, the helmsman of Menelaus in Greek legend. It is too far south to rise for much of Europe, but from the southern hemisphere it is a prominent sight.
Its brightness and its position far from the plane of the planets have made it a favourite reference: it is one of the stars of celestial navigation, and many spacecraft have locked onto it to hold their orientation.
What you see in the piece
From Earth Canopus is only a little fainter than Sirius; in the piece Sirius is a near neighbour while Canopus lies far away, and only its great power keeps it shining as you fly.
Questions
How far away is Canopus?
Canopus is 309 light-years (94.8 pc) from the Sun, much farther than Sirius.
Why is Canopus so bright?
Canopus is a giant 14,100 times as luminous as the Sun, so it shines brightly despite its distance.