This list includes 23 Stars with proper names that start with A, from “Acamar (IAU)” to “Avior (IAU)”. They range from bright navigational stars to faint traditional names preserved by the IAU and historical catalogs.

Stars with proper names that start with A are stars whose accepted names begin with the letter “A”. Many names come from Arabic and Greek traditions, while Acamar illustrates a modern IAU adoption.

Below you’ll find the table with Proper name, Bayer/Flamsteed, Constellation, V magnitude, Distance (ly), and IAU status.

Proper name: The star’s widely used proper name helps you identify traditional and IAU-approved names quickly across catalogs.

Bayer / Flamsteed designation: Shows the star’s classical catalogue label so you can match it with older star charts and literature.

Constellation (full name + abbreviation): Lists the modern constellation and its IAU abbreviation so you can locate the star on maps.

Apparent V magnitude (mag): Gives brightness on the V scale to two decimals, helping you estimate visibility with or without optics.

Distance (ly): Shows the star’s distance in light years to one decimal, giving you a sense of physical scale.

IAU status / notes: Flags IAU-approved names and adds concise notes about historical names or naming conflicts you should know.

Stars with proper names that start with A

Proper nameOther names / major designationsConstellationV magnitude Distance (ly)
Achernar (IAU)Alpha Eridani, HD 10144Eridanus — EriV=0.46 D=139.0 ly
Acamar (IAU)Theta Eridani, HD 15371Eridanus — EriV=3.19 D=101.9 ly
Acrux (IAU)Alpha Crucis, HD 108248Crux — CruV=0.76 D=321.0 ly
Achird (IAU)Eta Cassiopeiae, HD 4614Cassiopeia — CasV=3.45 D=19.4 ly
Acubens (IAU)Alpha Cancri (γ Cnc), HD 76756Cancer — CncV=4.26 D=174.0 ly
Adhara (IAU)Epsilon Canis Majoris, HD 52089Canis Major — CMaV=1.50 D=430.0 ly
Alcor (IAU)80 Ursae Majoris, companion to Mizar, HD 116842Ursa Major — UMaV=3.99 D=81.8 ly
Aldebaran (IAU)Alpha Tauri, HD 29139Taurus — TauV=0.87 D=65.1 ly
Alcyone (IAU)Eta Tauri, brightest Pleiad, HD 23630Taurus — TauV=2.87 D=440.0 ly
Algol (IAU)Beta Persei, HD 19356Perseus — PerV=2.12 D=92.8 ly
Alioth (IAU)Epsilon Ursae Majoris, HD 76644Ursa Major — UMaV=1.76 D=81.9 ly
Alkaid (IAU)Eta Ursae Majoris, HD 120315Ursa Major — UMaV=1.86 D=101.9 ly
Almach (IAU)Gamma Andromedae, HD 4628Andromeda — AndV=2.10 D=350.0 ly
Alnair (IAU)Alpha Gruis, HD 214952Grus — GruV=1.74 D=101.2 ly
Alnilam (IAU)Epsilon Orionis, HD 37128Orion — OriV=1.69 D=2,000.0 ly
Alnitak (IAU)Zeta Orionis, HD 37742Orion — OriV=1.74 D=1,260.0 ly
Alpheratz (IAU)Alpha Andromedae, HD 358Andromeda — AndV=2.06 D=97.6 ly
Altair (IAU)Alpha Aquilae, HD 187642Aquila — AqlV=0.77 D=16.7 ly
Antares (IAU)Alpha Scorpii, HD 148478Scorpius — ScoV=1.06 D=550.0 ly
Arcturus (IAU)Alpha Bootis, HD 124897Boötes — BooV=-0.05 D=36.7 ly
Ankaa (IAU)Alpha Phoenicis, HD 85390Phoenix — PheV=2.39 D=77.0 ly
Avior (IAU)Epsilon Carinae, HD 76943Carina — CarV=1.86 D=630.0 ly
Alphard (IAU)Alpha Hydrae, HD 81797Hydra — HyaV=2.00 D=177.6 ly

Descriptions

Achernar (IAU)
Bright southern star, IAU-approved; one of the flattest fast-rotating stars, easily seen from southern skies.
Acamar (IAU)
Traditional name for Theta Eridani, IAU-approved; modestly bright, historically marked Eridanus’s end.
Acrux (IAU)
IAU name for the bright southern Cross primary; visually bright and part of a tight multiple system.
Achird (IAU)
IAU-approved name for a nearby visual binary; popular with amateur observers and useful for studying stellar companions.
Acubens (IAU)
Traditional name (IAU-approved); a faint star in Cancer, noted in classical Arabic astronomy.
Adhara (IAU)
IAU-approved; second-brightest in Canis Major, historically important as a southern bright star.
Alcor (IAU)
IAU-approved proper name; famous naked-eye double with Mizar, used as a vision acuity test.
Aldebaran (IAU)
Well-known IAU-approved red giant marking Taurus’s eye; bright and easy to spot in winter skies.
Alcyone (IAU)
IAU-approved name for the Pleiades’ brightest member; culturally significant in many traditions.
Algol (IAU)
IAU-approved variable star nicknamed the “Demon Star”; eclipsing binary with regular brightness dips.
Alioth (IAU)
IAU-approved; one of the Big Dipper’s stars, useful for navigation and sky orientation.
Alkaid (IAU)
IAU-approved name for the Dipper’s western tip; bright and blue-white in color.
Almach (IAU)
IAU-approved traditional double-star; striking color contrast makes it popular with small telescopes.
Alnair (IAU)
IAU-approved bright star in Grus; prominent in southern skies and useful for seasonal pointing.
Alnilam (IAU)
IAU-approved middle star of Orion’s Belt; a distant, luminous blue supergiant.
Alnitak (IAU)
IAU-approved eastern Belt star; part of a massive multiple system near the Flame Nebula.
Alpheratz (IAU)
IAU-approved traditional name; marks the head of Andromeda and links to Pegasus in older charts.
Altair (IAU)
IAU-approved bright summer star; one of the closest bright stars and part of the Summer Triangle.
Antares (IAU)
IAU-approved red supergiant, one of the brightest stars and historically famous as “rival of Mars.”
Arcturus (IAU)
IAU-approved very bright orange giant easily seen from both hemispheres; a key navigational and cultural star.
Ankaa (IAU)
IAU-approved bright southern star, namesake of the Phoenix constellation; notable in southern asterisms.
Avior (IAU)
IAU-approved bright star in Carina, prominent in southern skies and often included in large-scale sky maps.
Alphard (IAU)
IAU-approved solitary orange giant known as “the solitary one”; stands out in a sparse region of Hydra.
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