List of star extremes


A star is a massive luminous spheroid astronomical object made of plasma that is held together by its own gravity. Stars exhibit great diversity in their properties and some of the outliers are so disproportionate in comparison with the general population that they are considered extreme. This is a list of such stars.
Records that are regarded as authoritative and unlikely to change at any given point are recorded on a white background, while those that could change with new information and/or discoveries are recorded on a grey background.

Age and distance

TitleObjectDateDataCommentsNotesRefsSee more
Nearest extrasolar starProxima Centauri
1915Before Proxima, the title had been held by Alpha Centauri A & B.
Nearest red dwarfProxima Centauri
1915Before Proxima, the title had been held by Barnard's Star.
Nearest degenerate starSirius B1852This is also the nearest white dwarf.
Nearest subdwarfKapteyn's Star1898Kapteyn's star is either a sdM1 subdwarf or a M1.5V main-sequence star. WISEA 1810−1010 is the nearest undisputed subdwarf, at.
Nearest subgiantProcyonAll stars closer to the Sun are main sequence, degenerate stars or brown dwarfs.
Nearest giant starPollux
Nearest supergiantEpsilon LeonisWhile being a giant star based on spectrum, in evolutionary terms the star is a supergiant.
Nearest hypergiantμ Cephei
Nearest carbon starCW Leonis
Nearest M-type starProxima Centauri1915List of [nearest stars by spectral type#List of nearest M-type stars|List of nearest M-type stars]
Nearest K-type starAlpha Centauri BList of nearest K-type stars
Nearest G-type starSun1 AUList of nearest G-type stars
Nearest F-type starProcyonList of nearest F-type stars
Nearest A-type starSiriusList of nearest A-type stars
Nearest B-type starRegulusList of nearest B-type stars
Nearest O-type starZeta OphiuchiList of nearest O-type stars
Nearest Wolf–Rayet starGamma Velorum
Nearest neutron starRX J1856.35-37542000
Nearest white dwarfSirius B1852Sirius B is also the second white dwarf discovered, after 40 Eridani B.
Nearest brown dwarf2013This is a pair of brown dwarfs in a binary system, with no other stars.
Nearest luminous blue variableP Cygni

Brightness and power

TitleObjectDateDataCommentsNotesRefsSee more
Brightest star from the Earth: Apparent magnitudeSunprehistoricReported for reference
Brightest star other than the SunSirius
prehistoricm= −1.46List of brightest stars
Dimmest star from the EarthUDF 2457m= 25
Brightest star in a transient eventProgenitor of SN 10061006m= −7.5This was a supernova, and its remnant is catalogued as PKS 1459-41.
Most luminous starLGGS J004246.86+413336.42022L= 19,953,000 LSunList of most luminous stars
Least luminous star2MASS J0523−14032013L=0.000126LSun
Most luminous star in a transient eventProgenitor of GRB 080916C2008The star exploded in a gamma-ray burst with the total energy equal to 9,000 supernovae.List of gamma-ray bursts
Most energetic starR136a12010List of most luminous stars
Most energetic star in a transient eventProgenitor of GRB 080916C2008
Hottest starWR 102T= List of hottest stars
Coolest starS CassiopeiaeT= List of coolest stars

TitleObjectDateDataCommentsNotesRefsSee more
Hottest white dwarfRX J0439.8-68092015
Hottest neutron starPSR B0943+10Blackbody temperature of a small emitting area at the poles
Hottest brown dwarfZTF J1406+1222 B2022
Coolest neutron star
Coolest white dwarfPSR J2222−0137 B2014<
Coolest brown dwarfWISE 0855−07142014

Size and mass

TitleObjectDateDataCommentsNotesRefsSee more
Least massive starDENIS J1048−3956List of brown dwarfs
Least massive neutron starHESS J1731-3472022
Least massive white dwarfNLTT 117482021
Least massive brown dwarf20233 – 4 Located in the star cluster IC 348Sub-brown dwarf