Gazing up at the night sky reveals a breathtaking tapestry of stars, each burning with its own unique characteristics. Among these stellar giants and dwarfs, some of the most fascinating are those that glow with a distinct, deep hue. Their striking color tells a story of temperature, age, and size, distinguishing them from their brighter, hotter blue or white counterparts.
This list explores 32 Red Stars, showcasing their incredible diversity, from the familiar bright orange glow of Aldebaran to the much dimmer, cooler Wolf 359. For each, you’ll find below a wealth of information, meticulously organized by key properties such as Star Type, Constellation, Distance (light-years), and Radius (solar radii), making it easy to explore their defining features.
What makes a star appear red?
A star appears red primarily because of its surface temperature. Stars with cooler surface temperatures, typically ranging from about 2,500 to 5,000 Kelvin, emit light predominantly in the red and orange parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. This is in contrast to hotter stars, which appear blue or white. Red stars are generally classified as M-type or K-type stars in the stellar classification system.
Are Red Stars common in the universe?
Yes, Red Stars are incredibly common, especially red dwarf stars, which are the most abundant type of star in the Milky Way galaxy. These small, cool, and long-lived stars make up an estimated 70-80% of all stars. While red giants and red supergiants are much rarer due to their brief evolutionary phases, the sheer number of red dwarfs means that red-hued stars collectively dominate the stellar population of the universe.
Red Stars
| Star Name | Star Type | Constellation | Distance (light-years) | Radius (solar radii) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Betelgeuse | Red Supergiant (M) | Orion | 642 | 750 |
| Antares | Red Supergiant (M) | Scorpius | 550 | 680 |
| Arcturus | Red Giant (K) | Boötes | 36.7 | 25 |
| Aldebaran | Red Giant (K) | Taurus | 65 | 44 |
| Mira | Red Giant Mira Variable (M) | Cetus | 300 | 332 |
| Mu Cephei | Red Supergiant (M) | Cepheus | 2,400 | 1,420 |
| VY Canis Majoris | Red Hypergiant (M) | Canis Major | 3,900 | 1,500 |
| UY Scuti | Red Supergiant (M) | Scutum | 2,900 | 1,700 |
| Mu Cephei | Red Supergiant (M) | Cepheus | 2,400 | 1,420 |
| VX Sagittarii | Red Supergiant (M) | Sagittarius | 5,000 | 1,100 |
| Chi Cygni | S-type Mira Variable (S) | Cygnus | 350 | 300 |
| R Leporis | Carbon Star (C) | Lepus | 1,200 | 400 |
| La Superba (Y CVn) | Carbon Star (C) | Canes Venatici | 360 | 295 |
| CW Leonis (IRC+10216) | Carbon-rich AGB (C) | Leo | 390 | 500 |
| W Hydrae | Red Giant (M) | Hydra | 360 | 400 |
| Barnard’s Star | Red Dwarf (M4) | Ophiuchus | 5.96 | 0.20 |
| Proxima Centauri | Red Dwarf (M5.5) | Centaurus | 4.24 | 0.14 |
| Wolf 359 | Red Dwarf (M6) | Leo | 7.78 | 0.16 |
| TRAPPIST-1 | Red Dwarf (M8) | Aquarius | 39.6 | 0.12 |
| Gliese 581 | Red Dwarf (M3) | Libra | 20.3 | 0.29 |
| Lalande 21185 | Red Dwarf (M2) | Ursa Major | 8.31 | 0.39 |
| Kapteyn’s Star | Red Dwarf (M1) | Pictor | 12.76 | 0.29 |
| Ross 248 | Red Dwarf (M6) | Andromeda | 10.32 | 0.19 |
| Pollux | Red Giant (K0) | Gemini | 34 | 8.8 |
| Alphard | Red Giant (K3) | Hydra | 177 | 50 |
| S Cephei | Carbon Star (C) | Cepheus | 1,000 | 200 |
| TX Piscium | Carbon Star (C) | Pisces | 300 | 220 |
| R Sculptoris | Carbon Star (C) | Sculptor | 1,400 | 250 |
| V354 Cephei | Red Supergiant (M) | Cepheus | 9,000 | 1,100 |
| V838 Monocerotis | Red Giant-like Eruptive (M) | Monoceros | 19,000 | 1,500 |
| R Cancri | Mira Variable (M) | Cancer | 690 | 250 |
| S Cassiopeiae | S-type Mira Variable (S) | Cassiopeia | 3,000 | 350 |
Images and Descriptions
Betelgeuse
A very luminous M-type supergiant that famously dimmed in 2019–2020; one of the closest red supergiants and easy to spot as Orion’s shoulder.
Antares
The “heart of the scorpion,” an M-type supergiant with a striking reddish color and a faint blue companion; one of the brightest red stars.
Arcturus
A bright, nearby K-type giant often described as orange-red; it’s evolved off the main sequence and dominates the spring sky in the Northern Hemisphere.
Aldebaran
The fiery “eye” of Taurus; a K-type giant that appears distinctly orange-red and marks the face of the bull.
Mira
The prototype of Mira variables—an M-type pulsating red giant that famously brightens and fades on an irregular cycle.
Mu Cephei
Called Herschel’s “Garnet Star” for its deep red color; a very large M supergiant visible to the naked eye in a dark sky.
VY Canis Majoris
One of the most extreme known red hypergiants with a vast stellar envelope and powerful mass loss; very luminous and enormous.
UY Scuti
A contender for the largest known stars by radius; an M-type supergiant with a gigantic, stretched atmosphere.
Mu Cephei
Bright red supergiant (Herschel’s Garnet Star) renowned for its deep color and huge size.
VX Sagittarii
A very luminous M-type variable supergiant with strong pulsations and a deep red appearance.
Chi Cygni
An S-type Mira variable whose spectra show s-process elements; it swings widely in brightness and displays a rich red hue.
R Leporis
Hind’s Crimson Star, a strikingly red carbon star whose deep red color fascinated early observers and is obvious even in small telescopes.
La Superba (Y CVn)
A classic carbon star nicknamed “La Superba” for its rich red color and prominent carbon-rich atmosphere.
CW Leonis (IRC+10216)
A very dusty carbon-rich AGB star famous for its thick envelope of carbon molecules and strong infrared emission; looks very red in visible/IR.
W Hydrae
An AGB star with strong pulsation and mass loss; its cool M-type photosphere and surrounding dust make it appear red and bright in IR.
Barnard’s Star
A very nearby M-dwarf with a deep red color; long famous for its large proper motion and frequent mention in discussions of nearby stars.
Proxima Centauri
The closest star to the Sun and a flare-prone M-dwarf; intrinsically faint and red but extremely important for exoplanet studies.
Wolf 359
A nearby, very faint red dwarf that’s magnetically active and one of the closest stellar neighbors of the Sun.
TRAPPIST-1
An ultra-cool M-dwarf famous for its seven Earth-size planets; very red and faint in visible light but important for exoplanetary science.
Gliese 581
An M-dwarf system that drew attention for several candidate habitable-zone planets; small, cool, and red.
Lalande 21185
A nearby M-type red dwarf visible only with optical aid; one of the brighter red dwarfs in our stellar neighborhood.
Kapteyn’s Star
An old, high-velocity M-dwarf with a reddish color; notable for its unusual motion through the Galaxy.
Ross 248
A nearby red dwarf expected in the far future to become one of the nearest stellar neighbors; faint and very red.
Pollux
A K-type giant with an orange-red tint and a known exoplanet; an easy target in winter skies.
Alphard
The solitary bright star of Hydra, often described as orange-red; a K-type giant shining alone in its constellation.
S Cephei
A variable carbon star with a deep red color due to abundant carbon molecules, making it a classic example of C-type redness.
TX Piscium
A carbon-rich AGB star whose photosphere is dominated by carbon molecules, producing a strong red appearance and spectral features.
R Sculptoris
An AGB carbon star known for episodic mass ejections and a prominent red color from carbon molecules and dust.
V354 Cephei
A very luminous M-type supergiant with a deep red hue; one of several distant red supergiants used to study late stellar evolution.
V838 Monocerotis
Became famous after a 2002 outburst that produced a spectacular expanding red light echo; now a cool, very red object.
R Cancri
A Mira-type pulsating M giant whose brightness and color change dramatically over its cycle, showing deep red at maximum.
S Cassiopeiae
An S-type Mira with enhanced s-process elements in its atmosphere; it has large brightness swings and a distinctly red spectrum.
