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Canopus
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Canopus
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The orbits of the planets and other elements of the solar system, including asteroids, Kuiper belt, Oort cloud, comet
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Ursa major constellation illustration art. (Big Dipper) stars, space, night sky)
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1 July 2002: The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) satellite reveals a massive solar eruption more than 30 times the Earth's diameter. The eruption formed when a loop of a magnetic field over the surface of the Sun trapped hot gas.
Brightest Star in the Solar System
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Alpha Carinae
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Canopus
Canopus Canopus in the southern constellation of Carina.

Canopus

star
Also known as: Alpha Carinae
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Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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Canopus, second brightest star (after Sirius) in the night sky, with a visual magnitude of βˆ’0.74. Lying in the southern constellation Carina, 310 light-years from Earth, Canopus is sometimes used as a guide in the attitude control of spacecraft because of its angular distance from the Sun and the contrast of its brightness among nearby celestial objects. The Syrian Stoic philosopher Poseidonius (c. 135–50 bce) used sightings of Canopus near the horizon in his estimation of the size of Earth.

(List of Brightest Stars as Seen from Earth)

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Erik Gregersen.