Star
The Sun has an apparent magnitude of −26.7, but its absolute magnitude is only +4.83. Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky as seen from Earth, is approximately 23 times more luminous than the Sun, while Canopus, the second brightest star in the night sky with an absolute magnitude of −5.53, is approximately 14,000 times more luminous than the Sun. Despite Canopus being vastly more luminous than Sirius, however, Sirius appears brighter than Canopus. This is because Sirius is merely 8.6 light-years from the Earth, while Canopus is much farther away at a distance of 310 light-years.
List of stars more luminous than any closer star
This is a list of stars which are more luminous than any closer star, that is, stars which emit more radiation than any other star within the same distance of the Sun. The luminosities are measured in bolometric luminosity and not by visual luminosity. For example, Alpha Centauri A is the most luminous star within 5 light-years of the Sun. In order to find a star more luminous than α Cen, the radius would have to be extended out to 9 light years, to include Sirius. The closest star more luminous than Sirius is Vega, at 25 light years, and so on.