App.      

Mag.      Celestial object

−26.73    Sun (449,000 times brighter than full moon)

−12.6     Full Moon

 −8.0     Maximum brightness of an iridium flare

 −6.0     The Crab Supernova (SN 1054) of 1054 AD (6500 light years away)

 −4.7     Maximum brightness of Venus and the International Space Station (when the ISS is at its perigee and fully lit by the sun)

 −3.9     Faintest objects observable during the day with naked eye

 −3.7     Minimum brightness of Venus

 −3.0     Maximum brightness of Mars

 −2.8     Maximum brightness of Jupiter

 −1.9     Maximum brightness of Mercury

 −1.47    Brightest star (except for the sun) at visible wavelengths: Sirius

 −0.7     Second-brightest star: Canopus

 −0.24    Maximum brightness of Saturn

  0       The zero point by definition: This used to be Vega

  3       Faintest stars visible in an urban neighborhood with naked eye

  4.6     Maximum brightness of Ganymede

  5.5     Maximum brightness of Uranus

  6.5     Faintest stars observable with naked eye under perfect conditions

  6.7     Maximum brightness of Ceres

  7.7     Maximum brightness of Neptune

  9.1     Maximum brightness of 10 Hygiea

  9.5     Faintest objects visible with binoculars

 10.2     Maximum brightness of Iapetus

 12.9     Brightest quasar 3C 273 (2.4 Giga-light years away)

 13.65    Maximum brightness of Pluto (1,148 times fainter than naked-eye visibility)

 18.7     Current opposition brightness of Eris

 23       Maximum brightness of Pluto's smallest moons Hydra and Nix

 27       Faintest objects observable in visible light with 8m ground-based telescopes

 30       Faintest objects observable in visible light with Hubble Space Telescope

 35       Sedna at aphelion (900 AU)[5]

 38       Faintest objects observable in visible light with planned OWL (2020)

JACANA ASTRONOMY SITE | SOLAR SYSTEM | STARS | GALAXIES | NEBULAE

SUPERNOVAE | CLUSTERS | DOUBLE STARS | COMETS | ASTEROIDS | DUST CLOUDS