<p>It's serious overkill, but <a href="https://www.usno.navy.mil/USNO/astrometry/information/catalog-info" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.usno.navy.mil/USNO/astrometry/information/catalog-info</a> lists many catalogs and their current recommended/usability status.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, it's not 100% complete as it doesn't list the Yale Bright Star Catalog or even GAIA2 (<a href="https://gea.esac.esa.int/archive/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://gea.esac.esa.int/archive/</a>) which contains over one billion stars.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-14T03:27:27.273Z
2021-08-14T03:27:27.273Z
Guest
<p>The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bright_Star_Catalogue" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Yale Bright Star Catalogue</a> lists stars brighter than about magnitude 6.5.</p>
<p>It is available as a <a href="http://tdc-www.harvard.edu/catalogs/bsc5.dat.gz" rel="nofollow noreferrer">compressed text file</a> documented in the <a href="http://tdc-www.harvard.edu/catalogs/bsc5.readme" rel="nofollow noreferrer">readme</a> file</p>
<p>I've also made a <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1H5MT1oVkTifwm5DNyOv7vzVrAuMgVoYKcFlnNiezCMw/edit?usp=sharing" rel="nofollow noreferrer">google sheets version</a> sorted by magnitude</p>
<p>A sample of the first 10 lines</p>
<pre><code>   1          BD+44 4550      3 36042          46           000001.1+444022000509.9+451345114.44-16.88 6.70  +0.07 +0.08         A1Vn               -0.012-0.018      -018      195  4.2  21.6AC   3
   2          BD-01 4525      6128569                       235956.2-010330000503.8-003011 98.33-61.14 6.29  +1.10 +1.02        gG9                 +0.045-0.060      +014V
   3 33    PscBD-06 6357     281285721002I         Var?     000013.0-061601000520.1-054227 93.75-65.93 4.61  +1.04 +0.89 +0.54   K0IIIbCN-0.5       -0.009+0.089 +.014-006SB1O &lt; 17  2.5   0.0     3*
   4 86    PegBD+12 5063     87 917012004                   000033.8+125023000542.0+132346106.19-47.98 5.51  +0.90               G5III              +0.045-0.012      -002V?
   5          BD+57 2865    123 21085          61  V640 Cas 000101.8+575245000616.0+582612117.03-03.92 5.96  +0.67 +0.20         G5V                +0.263+0.030 +.047-012V          0.8   1.4      *
   6          CD-4914337    142214963      W                000108.4-493751000619.0-490430321.61-66.38 5.70  +0.52 +0.05         G1IV               +0.565-0.038 +.050+003SB         5.7   5.4      *
   7 10    CasBD+63 2107    144 109782005                   000114.4+633822000626.5+641146118.06  1.75 5.59  -0.03 -0.19         B9III             e+0.008 0.000      -000V     153                 *
   8          BD+28 4704    166 73743          69     33    000125.2+282811000636.8+290117111.26-32.83 6.13  +0.75 +0.33         K0V                +0.380-0.182 +.067-008V          2.6 158.6AB   4*
   9          CD-23    4    2031660531003                   000143.0-233947000650.1-230627 52.21-79.14 6.18  +0.38 +0.05         A7V                +0.100-0.045      +003V
  10          BD-18 6428    256147090                       000211.8-175639000718.2-172311 74.36-75.90 6.19  +0.14 +0.10         A6Vn               -0.018+0.036      -009V?    195                 *
</code></pre>
<p>There is lots of information here, the visual magnitude is in the column which begins 6.70\6.29\4.61</p>
<p>The entry for Atlas is</p>
<pre><code>1178 27    TauBD+23  557  23850 76228 142    2786   1345    034312.8+234452034909.7+240312167.01-23.23 3.63  -0.09 -0.36 -0.05   B8III              +0.018-0.047 -.026+009SB1O  212  1.5   0.0 A   3*
</code></pre>
<p>Showing that it has a visual magnitude of 3.63</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-13T17:22:30.000Z
Just out of curiosity, how many stars were in that catalogue at the time of this answer (since the question is specifically looking for more than 300 stars).
zephyr
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-13T18:15:39.210Z
Thanks, but how do I make sense of its columns? The brightest star is Sirius in Canis Major and I don't see any information that resembles that. What are the meaning of the columns?
Nau
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-13T20:35:56.060Z
I've added a link to the documentation http://tdc-www.harvard.edu/catalogs/bsc5.readme
James K
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-13T20:38:07.637Z
For sirius you should look for Alf CMa It has a bright star number of 2491
James K
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-13T20:47:15.667Z
@zephyr It contains 9110 lines, but some of the "stars" are not stars, but Novae and some NGC objects,
James K
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-13T20:54:39.167Z
You are allowed to do so.
James K
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-14T12:33:37.783Z
Oh, I see now, so I guess I have to apply some sort of computer script in the text file to arrange the entries in a certain particular order, right? That way I could sort them by its apparent magnitude. Is that what it is done?
Nau
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-14T12:48:30.333Z
Yes,  Excel can import text files, the structure of the BSC is based on fixed width columns So the Catalogue number is the first four characters, the "name" is characters 5-14, the magnitude is in characters 103-107 and is a signed floating point value with optional sign and two decimal places.
James K
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-14T13:48:53.340Z
I've made a google sheets version sorted by mag. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1H5MT1oVkTifwm5DNyOv7vzVrAuMgVoYKcFlnNiezCMw/edit?usp=sharing
James K
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-14T17:42:35.347Z
Thanks, now I'll be able to know what is beyond 300
Nau
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-13T12:46:45.797Z
2021-08-14T14:12:01.017Z
2021-08-14T14:12:01.017Z
James K
<p>I've been observing the stars and I have found some lists on internet that sort them by its apparent magnitude (m), so you end up with lists of brightest-stars like this one: <a href="https://www.star-facts.com/brightest-stars/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.star-facts.com/brightest-stars/</a></p>
<p>The problem is that I would like to sort them beyond 300 (The maximum amount that I've found on internet sites), but I don't know where can I find (or if it even exist) such a list. The star number 300 (Xi Serpentis) has a apparent magnitude of 3.54, but there are some other stars like: Atlas (m = 3.62) that have apparent magnitudes bigger of 3.54. I would like to know what position stars like these they occupy</p>

<amateur-observing><apparent-magnitude><brightness>
Brightest Stars (by its Apparent Magnitude) List beyond 300
Nau
# Brightest Stars (by its Apparent Magnitude) List beyond 300

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-08-13)

I've been observing the stars and I have found some lists on internet that sort them by its apparent magnitude (m), so you end up with lists of brightest-stars like this one: <https://www.star-facts.com/brightest-stars/>

The problem is that I would like to sort them beyond 300 (The maximum amount that I've found on internet sites), but I don't know where can I find (or if it even exist) such a list. The star number 300 (Xi Serpentis) has a apparent magnitude of 3.54, but there are some other stars like: Atlas (m = 3.62) that have apparent magnitudes bigger of 3.54. I would like to know what position stars like these they occupy

**Tags:** amateur-observing, apparent-magnitude, brightness


---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2021-08-13. Score: 9 | Accepted answer

The [Yale Bright Star Catalogue](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bright_Star_Catalogue) lists stars brighter than about magnitude 6.5.

It is available as a [compressed text file](http://tdc-www.harvard.edu/catalogs/bsc5.dat.gz) documented in the [readme](http://tdc-www.harvard.edu/catalogs/bsc5.readme) file

I've also made a [google sheets version](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1H5MT1oVkTifwm5DNyOv7vzVrAuMgVoYKcFlnNiezCMw/edit?usp=sharing) sorted by magnitude

A sample of the first 10 lines

```
   1          BD+44 4550      3 36042          46           000001.1+444022000509.9+451345114.44-16.88 6.70  +0.07 +0.08         A1Vn               -0.012-0.018      -018      195  4.2  21.6AC   3
   2          BD-01 4525      6128569                       235956.2-010330000503.8-003011 98.33-61.14 6.29  +1.10 +1.02        gG9                 +0.045-0.060      +014V
   3 33    PscBD-06 6357     281285721002I         Var?     000013.0-061601000520.1-054227 93.75-65.93 4.61  +1.04 +0.89 +0.54   K0IIIbCN-0.5       -0.009+0.089 +.014-006SB1O < 17  2.5   0.0     3*
   4 86    PegBD+12 5063     87 917012004                   000033.8+125023000542.0+132346106.19-47.98 5.51  +0.90               G5III              +0.045-0.012      -002V?
   5          BD+57 2865    123 21085          61  V640 Cas 000101.8+575245000616.0+582612117.03-03.92 5.96  +0.67 +0.20         G5V                +0.263+0.030 +.047-012V          0.8   1.4      *
   6          CD-4914337    142214963      W                000108.4-493751000619.0-490430321.61-66.38 5.70  +0.52 +0.05         G1IV               +0.565-0.038 +.050+003SB         5.7   5.4      *
   7 10    CasBD+63 2107    144 109782005                   000114.4+633822000626.5+641146118.06  1.75 5.59  -0.03 -0.19         B9III             e+0.008 0.000      -000V     153                 *
   8          BD+28 4704    166 73743          69     33    000125.2+282811000636.8+290117111.26-32.83 6.13  +0.75 +0.33         K0V                +0.380-0.182 +.067-008V          2.6 158.6AB   4*
   9          CD-23    4    2031660531003                   000143.0-233947000650.1-230627 52.21-79.14 6.18  +0.38 +0.05         A7V                +0.100-0.045      +003V
  10          BD-18 6428    256147090                       000211.8-175639000718.2-172311 74.36-75.90 6.19  +0.14 +0.10         A6Vn               -0.018+0.036      -009V?    195                 *

```

There is lots of information here, the visual magnitude is in the column which begins 6.70\6.29\4.61

The entry for Atlas is

```
1178 27    TauBD+23  557  23850 76228 142    2786   1345    034312.8+234452034909.7+240312167.01-23.23 3.63  -0.09 -0.36 -0.05   B8III              +0.018-0.047 -.026+009SB1O  212  1.5   0.0 A   3*

```

Showing that it has a visual magnitude of 3.63

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Just out of curiosity, how many stars were in that catalogue at the time of this answer (since the question is specifically looking for more than 300 stars).  
> **username_0**: Thanks, but how do I make sense of its columns? The brightest star is Sirius in Canis Major and I don't see any information that resembles that. What are the meaning of the columns?  
> **username_2**: I've added a link to the documentation http://tdc-www.harvard.edu/catalogs/bsc5.readme  
> **username_2**: For sirius you should look for Alf CMa It has a bright star number of 2491  
> **username_2**: @username_3 It contains 9110 lines, but some of the "stars" are not stars, but Novae and some NGC objects,  
> **username_2**: You are allowed to do so.  
> **username_0**: Oh, I see now, so I guess I have to apply some sort of computer script in the text file to arrange the entries in a certain particular order, right? That way I could sort them by its apparent magnitude. Is that what it is done?  
> **username_2**: Yes,  Excel can import text files, the structure of the BSC is based on fixed width columns So the Catalogue number is the first four characters, the "name" is characters 5-14, the magnitude is in characters 103-107 and is a signed floating point value with optional sign and two decimal places.  
> **username_2**: I've made a google sheets version sorted by mag. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1H5MT1oVkTifwm5DNyOv7vzVrAuMgVoYKcFlnNiezCMw/edit?usp=sharing  
> **username_0**: Thanks, now I'll be able to know what is beyond 300  

---

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-08-14. Score: 3

It's serious overkill, but <https://www.usno.navy.mil/USNO/astrometry/information/catalog-info> lists many catalogs and their current recommended/usability status.

Unfortunately, it's not 100% complete as it doesn't list the Yale Bright Star Catalog or even GAIA2 (<https://gea.esac.esa.int/archive/>) which contains over one billion stars.


---

