List of stars closer than 20 light years

Science Fiction writers often need the name of a nearby star. This list includes most of the stars within 20 light years of Sol. If you are looking for sun type stars look for Spectral type G with an absolute magnitude of 3 to 5.

Many stars are actually double stars, so both stars are listed with the same name. Sometimes a little star orbits a big star like a planet, these might be super Jupiters with enough mass to start nuclear fussion. Sometimes they are just two stars with a large distance between them that lazily circle around each other. Sometimes they are stars that met in space and somehow wound up together.

The brighter the star, the smaller it’s magnitude. The brightest stars have negative magnitudes. Sirius – the dog star – is close by and is very bright. As seen from the earth it has an apparent magnitude of -1.46 making it on of the brightest things in the sky. Most of these stars are not as bright as the sun. They are (on the average) between 4 and 5 light years apart.

Star Name Spectral Type Apparent Magnitude Absolute Magnitude Distance in Light Years
Proxima Centauri M5.5 11.01 15.45 4.22
Alpha Centauri G2 -0.01 4.34 4.40
Alpha Centauri K0 1.35 5.70 4.40
Barnard’s Star M5 9.54 13.24 5.94
Wolf 359 M6 13.45 16.56 7.80
Lalande 21185 M2 7.49 10.46 8.31
Sirius A1 -1.44 1.45 8.60
Sirius DA2 8.44 11.33 8.60
L 726-8 M5.5 12.41 15.27 8.73
L 726-8 M5.5 13.25 16.11 8.73
Ross 154 M4.5 10.37 13.00 9.69
Ross 248 M6 12.29 14.79 10.33
Epsilon Eridani K2 3.72 6.18 10.50
Lacaille 9352 M2 7.35 9.76 10.73
Ross 128 M4.5 11.12 13.50 10.89
L 789-6 M5.5 13.3 15.6 11.08
L 789-6 M5 13.3 15.6 11.08
L 789-6 M7 14.0 16.3 11.08
Procyon F5 0.40 2.68 11.41
Procyon DA 10.7 13.0 11.41
61 Cygni K5 5.20 7.49 11.43
61 Cygni K7 6.05 8.33 11.43
Struve 2398 M4 8.94 11.18 11.64
Struve 2398 M5 9.70 11.97 11.64
Groombridge 34 M2 8.09 10.33 11.64
Groombridge 34 M6 11.06 13.30 11.64
G51-15 M6.5 14.81 17.01 11.83
Epsilon Indi K4 4.69 6.89 11.83
Tau Ceti G8 3.49 5.68 11.90
L 372-58 M5.5 13.01 15.17 12.06
L 725-32 M5 12.10 14.25 12.12
Luyten’s Star M3.5 9.84 11.94 12.39
Kapteyn’s Star M1 8.86 10.89 12.78
Lacaille 8760 M0 6.69 8.71 12.87
Kruger 60 M3 9.85 11.85 13.07
Kruger 60 M6 11.3 13.3 13.07
Ross 614 M4.5 11.12 13.05 13.43
Ross 614 M7 14.6 16.5 13.43
Wolf 1061 M3.5 10.10 11.95 13.91
Wolf 424 M5.5 13.04 14.87 14.05
Wolf 424 M7 13.3 15.1 14.05
CD-37 15492 M4 8.56 10.36 14.22
van Maanen’s Star DZ7 12.37 14.15 14.37
L 1159-16 M8 12.28 14.03 14.57
L 143-23 M5.5 13.92 15.66 14.6
DENIS 1048-39 M9 17 19 14.7
LP 731-58 M6.5 15.60 17.32 14.76
BD+68 946 M3.5 9.15 10.87 14.77
CD-46 11540 M3 9.38 11.10 14.80
L 145-141 DQ6 11.50 13.18 15.07
G158-27 M5.5 13.75 15.39 15.33
Ross 780 M5 10.16 11.80 15.34
G208-44 M5.5 13.41 15.04 15.39
G208-44 M6 14.01 15.64 15.39
G208-44 M8 16.66 18.29 15.39
Lalande 21258 M2 8.82 10.40 15.76
Lalande 21258 M6 14.40 15.78 15.76
Groombridge 1618 K7 6.60 8.16 15.89
BD+20 2465 M4.5 9.40 10.95 16.00
L 354-89 M1 8.66 10.19 16.10
LP 944-20 L 16.19
DENIS 0255-47 L 16.3
CD-44 11909 M3.5 10.94 12.43 16.45
Omicron^2 Eridani K1 4.43 5.92 16.45
Omicron^2 Eridani DA4 9.52 11.01 16.45
Omicron^2 Eridani M4.5 11.17 12.66 16.45
BD+43 4305 M4.5 10.29 11.77 16.47
70 Ophiuchi K0 4.03 5.50 16.59
70 Ophiuchi K5 6.00 7.47 16.59
Altair A7 0.76 2.20 16.77
G9-38 M5.5 14.06 15.47 17.05
G9-38 M5.5 14.92 16.33 17.05
L 722-22 M4 12.03 13.41 17.3
L 722-22 M6 14.3 15.7 17.3
G99-49 M4 11.33 12.68 17.51
G254-29 M4 10.80 12.14 17.59
Lalande 25372 M4 8.46 9.79 17.71
LP 656-38 M3.5 12.15 13.46 17.85
LP 816-60 M5 11.41 12.71 17.91
Stein 2051 M4 11.08 12.37 17.98
Stein 2051 DC5 12.44 13.73 17.98
Wolf 294 M4 9.89 11.18 17.99
Wolf 1453 M1.5 7.97 9.19 18.56
L 347-14 M4.5 12.23 13.45 18.6
Sigma Draconis K0 4.67 5.87 18.81
L 668-21 M1 8.15 9.34 18.83
L 668-21 T 18.83
Ross 47 M4 11.56 12.75 18.88
L 205-128 M3.5 10.75 11.93 18.95
Wolf 1055 M3.5 9.12 10.28 19.16
Wolf 1055 M8 17.52 18.68 19.16
L 674-15 M4 12.1 13.3 19.2
Lalande 27173 K5 5.75 6.89 19.26
Lalande 27173 M1 8.07 9.21 19.26
Lalande 27173 M3 10.5 11.6 19.26
Lalande 27173 T 19.26
Ross 882 M4.5 11.19 12.32 19.35
CD-40 9712 M3 9.31 10.44 19.35
Eta Cassiopeiae G0 3.46 4.59 19.42
Eta Cassiopeiae K7 7.51 8.64 19.42
Lalande 46650 M2 8.98 10.10 19.47
36 Ophiuchi K1 5.07 6.18 19.52
36 Ophiuchi K1 5.11 6.23 19.52
36 Ophiuchi K5 6.33 7.45 19.47
CD-36 13940 K3 5.32 6.41 19.74
CD-36 13940 M3.5 11.5 12.6 19.74
82 Eridani G5 4.26 5.35 19.77
Delta Pavonis G8 3.55 4.62 19.92
Wolf 1481 M3 11.32 12.39 19.95