This list includes 4 Stars with proper names that start with N, from “Naos” to “Nunki”. Many are bright and historically named, useful for navigation, stargazing, and classroom reference.

Stars with proper names that start with N are stars whose common or IAU-approved names begin with the letter N. Nunki, for example, is a long-known Sagittarius star that appears in many ancient star charts.

Below you’ll find the table with Name, Constellation (IAU abbreviation), Distance (ly), and Apparent V magnitude.

Name: The star’s proper name, usually IAU-approved or widely used, so you can identify it quickly.

Constellation (IAU abbreviation): Constellation full name plus IAU abbreviation helps you locate the star on sky maps and catalogs.

Distance (ly): Distance in light years to one decimal shows how far the star is, helping you compare true separations.

Apparent V magnitude: Visual magnitude to two decimals indicates how bright the star appears from Earth, useful when planning observations.

Stars with proper names that start with N

NameIAU statusConstellationDistance (ly)
NunkiIAU (2016)Sagittarius (Sgr)228.0
NashiraIAU (2016)Capricornus (Cap)139.0
NihalIAU (2016)Lepus (Lep)159.0
NaosIAU (2016)Puppis (Pup)1,090.0

Descriptions

Nunki
Nunki (σ Sgr), bright B-type star, V=2.06; traditional Arabic name meaning unknown, prominent marker in Sagittarius’ teapot; catalogs: Sigma Sgr, HD 169702. IAU 2016; SIMBAD 2024; Gaia EDR3
Nashira
Nashira (γ Cap), V=3.69; name from Arabic al-nashirah “the bringer of good news”; a multiple-star/giant system in Capricornus, also HD 204930. IAU 2016; SIMBAD 2024; Gaia EDR3
Nihal
Nihal (β Lep), V=3.76; traditional Arabic name meaning “the quail” or “the sleepy one”; a yellow giant star also catalogued as HD 32887. IAU 2016; SIMBAD 2024; Gaia EDR3
Naos
Naos (ζ Pup), V=2.25; bright O-type supergiant (Zeta Puppis), name from Greek/Arabic meaning “ship” or “ship’s keel”; notable hot, massive runaway star. IAU 2016; SIMBAD 2024; Gaia EDR3
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