<p>Which is the closest point to the Sun where it's not the brightest star anymore?</p>
<p>My intuition is that this is either on a direct line between the Sun and Alpha Centauri, or between the Sun and Sirius and can be calculated relatively easily based on absolute magnitudes. But which one, and how far away?</p>
<p>Conversely, which point is the farthest you can get away from the sun where it stops being the brightest star? I suppose this is much harder to answer.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-04-17T15:34:41.283Z
partial duplicate: https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/1062/at-what-distance-from-earth-would-our-sun-be-the-same-apparent-magnitude-as-the/1064#1064
asdfex
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-04-17T15:35:11.710Z
related question with partial answers: https://space.stackexchange.com/questions/22898/which-spacecraft-will-be-the-first-for-which-the-sun-would-become-the-second-bri/22903#22903
asdfex
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-04-17T16:42:54.677Z
Indeed, the first half of this question is a direct duplicate and needs editing to account for that.
ProfRob
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-04-18T07:21:09.950Z
Duplicate of "At what distance from Earth would our Sun be the same apparent magnitude as the next brightest star in the sky?" @uhoh and doesn't mention alpha Cen ? The answer is 1.46 light years. The Space SE version then  gives the answer to the other half of the Q.
ProfRob
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-04-18T09:42:26.480Z
@ProfRob OK right. The closest star will be the one that brightens the fastest when traveling along the line to it. Since alpha Cen is the closest, it will brighten the fastest and so no other star need be considered. The Space SE argument that going directly away from Sirius is the only direction and star that needs to be considered for the 2nd part is still unclear to me, but then again, so are a lot of things. I yield to the clear-thinkers.
uhoh
<the-sun><distances><brightness>
Closest/farthest point where the sun stops being the brightest star?
Michael Borgwardt
# Closest/farthest point where the sun stops being the brightest star?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-04-17)

Which is the closest point to the Sun where it's not the brightest star anymore?

My intuition is that this is either on a direct line between the Sun and Alpha Centauri, or between the Sun and Sirius and can be calculated relatively easily based on absolute magnitudes. But which one, and how far away?

Conversely, which point is the farthest you can get away from the sun where it stops being the brightest star? I suppose this is much harder to answer.

**Tags:** the-sun, distances, brightness

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: partial duplicate: https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/1062/at-what-distance-from-earth-would-our-sun-be-the-same-apparent-magnitude-as-the/1064#1064  
> **username_1**: related question with partial answers: https://space.stackexchange.com/questions/22898/which-spacecraft-will-be-the-first-for-which-the-sun-would-become-the-second-bri/22903#22903  
> **username_2**: Indeed, the first half of this question is a direct duplicate and needs editing to account for that.  
> **username_2**: Duplicate of "At what distance from Earth would our Sun be the same apparent magnitude as the next brightest star in the sky?" @username_3 and doesn't mention alpha Cen ? The answer is 1.46 light years. The Space SE version then  gives the answer to the other half of the Q.  
> **username_3**: @username_2 OK right. The closest star will be the one that brightens the fastest when traveling along the line to it. Since alpha Cen is the closest, it will brighten the fastest and so no other star need be considered. The Space SE argument that going directly away from Sirius is the only direction and star that needs to be considered for the 2nd part is still unclear to me, but then again, so are a lot of things. I yield to the clear-thinkers.  

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