Infographic: A comparison of the features of the brightest stars.

The stars visible to the naked eye may seem very similar at first glance. They are just small, twinkling points, most often white.

However, in reality, these are plasma spheres that vary significantly in size, density, color, temperature, and more. The majority of stars are red dwarfs, which are very small and "cool" (only about three thousand degrees). Our star, the Sun, is also a dwarf, though larger and hotter. But there are truly enormous stars in the Galaxy, giants and supergiants.

The brightest stars are the ones easiest to spot in the sky. This can be due to their proximity to the Sun, exceptional luminosity, or a combination of both factors.

The infographic published above reflects the characteristics of some stars with the highest apparent magnitude. It shows how far they are from us, their size compared to the Sun, and their temperature. This is directly related to the color of the stars—the graph uses shades that roughly correspond to it. White and blue stars are the hottest, red stars are much cooler, while green stars are something in between.

In the illustration, you can find Alpha Centauri and Barnard's Star, which have planetary systems. It is possible that they are "habitable," meaning they could potentially support Earth-like life. Or Rigel—a massive and very hot supergiant. Also depicted is the swollen Betelgeuse, which has reached the end of its "biography" and will likely explode as a supernova soon, along with a number of other intriguing stars.