It wasn't quite as bad as that, and it was 44½ years ago, not 49, but it was getting near to it; what I was learning about Cor Caroli and similar stars gave me a purpose in life and helped me through a bad patch.
However, this is getting off the point. RC 1970 said that it's just not possible to say something meaningful about something 39 light years away, not that it is not possible to say something about something 39 light years away that adds value to somebody's life. Statements about a star's distance, luminosity, composition, magnetic field and rotation period certainly mean something, at least in an astronomical and astrophysical context. Also, astronomers (including myself) wouldn't study distant stars if our studies didn't add value (and not just monetary value) to our lives.
If only it had some value to others.
1
Sirius Alp CMa -1.44 1.45 8.6 A1V 25 2.0 1.7 06h 45m -16.7°
2
Canopus Alp Car -0.62 -5.53 310 F0Ib 13600 8.5 65 06h 24m -52.7°
3 Rigil Kent. Alp Cen -0.28c 4.34 4.4 G2V+K1V 1.5 1.1 1.2 14h 40m -60.8°
4
Arcturus Alp Boo -0.05v -0.31 36.7 K2III 170 1.1 26 14h 16m +19.2°
5
Vega Alp Lyr 0.03v 0.58 25.3 A0V 37 2.1 2.3 18h 37m +38.8°
6
Capella Alp Aur 0.08v -0.48 42.2 G5III+G0II 79 2.7 12 05h 17m +46.0°
7
Rigel Bet Ori 0.18v -6.69 770 B8Ia 66000 17 78 05h 15m -8.2°
8
Procyon Alp CMi 0.40 2.68 11.4 F5IV-V 7.7 1.5 2.0 07h 39m +5.2°
9
Betelgeuse Alp Ori 0.45v -5.14 430 M2Ib 105000 18 936 05h 55m +7.4°
10 Achernar Alp Eri 0.45v -2.77 144 B3V 3300 6-8 10 01h 38m -57.2°
11 Hadar Bet Cen 0.61v -5.42 525 B1III 16000 10.7 8 14h 04m -60.4°
12
Altair Alp Aql 0.76v 2.20 16.8 A7V 10.6 1.8 1.8 19h 51m +8.9°
13 Acrux Alp Cru 0.77c -4.19 320 B0.5IV+B1V 25000 14 ? 12h 27m -63.1°
14
Aldebaran Alp Tau 0.87 -0.63 65.1 K5III 425 1.7 44.2 04h 36m +16.5°
15
Spica Alp Vir 0.98v -3.55 260 B1V+B2V 13400 11 7.8 13h 25m -11.2°
16
Antares Alp Sco 1.06v -5.28 605 M1Ib+B4V 65000 15.5 800 16h 29m -26.4°
17
Pollux Bet Gem 1.16 1.09 33.7 K0III 32 1.9 8 07h 45m +28.0°
18
Fomalhaut Alp PsA 1.17 1.74 25.1 A3V 17.7 2.1 1.8 22h 58m -29.6°
19
Deneb Alp Cyg 1.25v -8.73 3200 A2Ia 54000 20 110 20h 41m +45.3°
20 Mimosa Bet Cru 1.25v -3.92 350 B0.5III 34000 14 8 12h 48m -59.7°
21
Regulus Alp Leo 1.36 -0.52 77.5 B7V 150 3.5 3.2 10h 08m +12.0°
22
Adhara Eps CMa 1.50 -4.10 430 B2II 20000 10 ? 06h 59m -29.0°
23
Castor Alp Gem 1.58c 0.59 51.5 A1V+A2V 30/14 2.2/1.7 2.3/1.6 07h 35m +31.9°
24 Gacrux Gam Cru 1.59v -0.56 87.9 M3.5III 1500 3 113 12h 31m -57.1°
25 Shaula Lam Sco 1.62v -5.05 700 B2IV ? 10.4 6.2 17h 34m -37.1°
26
Bellatrix Gam Ori 1.64 -2.72 240 B2III 21500 8 5.7 05h 25m +6.3°
27
Elnath Bet Tau 1.65 -1.37 131 B7III 70 4.5 5.5 05h 26m +28.6°
28 Miaplacidus Bet Car 1.67 -0.99 111 A2III 210 3 5.7 09h 13m -69.7°
29
Alnilam Eps Ori 1.69v -6.38 1300 B0Ia 375000 40 26 05h 36m -1.2°
30 Alnair Alp Gru 1.73 -0.73 101 B7IV 380 4 3.6 22h 08m -47.0°
31
Alnitak Zet Ori 1.74c -5.26 820 O9.5Ib+B0I 100000 28 20 05h 41m -1.9°
32 Regor Gam Vel 1.75v -5.31 840 WC8+O9Ib 100000 30 13 08h 10m -47.3°
33 Alioth Eps UMa 1.76v -0.21 80.9 A0IV 108 3 3.7 12h 54m +56.0°
34 Kaus Aust. Eps Sgr 1.79 -1.44 145 B9.5III 375 5 7 18h 24m -34.4°