Stars are large celestial bodies of hot plasma, the dimensions of which can amaze the most inquisitive reader. Ready to evolve?
It should be noted right away that the rating was compiled taking into account those giants that are already known to mankind. It is possible that somewhere in outer space there are stars of even larger dimensions, but it is located at a distance of many light years, and modern equipment is simply not enough to detect and analyze them. It is also worth adding that the largest stars will eventually cease to be such, because they belong to the class of variables. Well, do not forget about the probable errors of astrologers. So...
Top 10 biggest stars in the universe
10
Opens the rating of the largest stars in the Betelgeuse Galaxy, the size of which exceeds the radius of the sun by 1190 times. It is located approximately 640 light years from Earth. Comparing with other stars, we can say that at a relatively short distance from our planet. The red-colored giant in the next few hundred years can turn into a supernova. In this case, its dimensions will increase significantly. For justified reasons, the star Betelgeuse, ranking last in this ranking, is the most interesting!
RW
An amazing star, attracting with an unusual glow color. Its size exceeds the dimensions of the sun from 1200 to 1600 solar radii. Unfortunately, we cannot say exactly how powerful and bright this star is, because it is located far from our planet. Regarding the history of the emergence and distance of RW, leading astrologers from different countries have been arguing for many years. Everything is due to the fact that in the constellation it regularly changes. Over time, it may disappear altogether. But it is still in the top of the largest celestial bodies.
Next in the ranking of the largest known stars is KW Sagittarius. According to ancient Greek legend, she appeared after the death of Perseus and Andromeda. This suggests that it was possible to detect this constellation long before our appearance. But unlike our ancestors, we know about more reliable data. It is known that the size of the stars exceeds the Sun by 1470 times. However, it is relatively close to our planet. KW is a bright star that changes its temperature over time.
At present, it is known for certain that the size of this large star exceeds the size of the Sun by at least 1430 times, but it is difficult to get an accurate result, because it is located 5 thousand light years from the planet. Even 13 years ago, American scientists cite completely different data. At that time, it was believed that KY Cygnus had a radius that raised the Sun by 2850 times. Now we have more reliable dimensions relative to this celestial body, which, for sure, are more accurate. Based on the name, you understand that the star is located in the constellation Cygnus.
A very large star included in the constellation Cepheus is V354, the size of which exceeds the Sun by 1530 times. At the same time, the celestial body is relatively close to our planet, only 9 thousand light years away. It does not differ in special brightness and temperature against the background of other unique stars. However, it belongs to the number of variable luminaries, therefore, the dimensions may vary. It is likely that Cepheus will not last long at this position in the V354 rating. It will most likely decrease in size over time.
A few years ago, it was believed that this red giant could become a competitor for VY Big Dog. Moreover, some experts conditionally considered WHO G64 the largest known star in our Universe. Today, in an age of rapid development of technology, astrologers have managed to obtain more reliable data. It is now known that the radius of the Dorado is only 1550 times the size of the Sun. That's how huge errors are allowed in the field of astronomy. However, the incident is easily explained by distance. The star is outside the Milky Way. Namely, in a dwarf galaxy called the Huge Magellanic Cloud.
V838
One of the most unusual stars in the universe, located in the constellation of the Unicorn. It is located approximately 20 thousand light years from our planet. Even the fact that our specialists managed to find it is surprising. Luminary V838 is even larger than that of Mu Cephei. It is quite difficult to make accurate calculations regarding the dimensions, due to the huge distance from the Earth. Speaking of approximate size data, they range from 1170 to 1900 solar radii.
There are many amazing stars in the constellation Cepheus, and Mu Cephei is considered a confirmation of this. One of the largest stars exceeds the size of the Sun by 1660 times. The supergiant is considered one of the brightest in the Milky Way. Approximately 37,000 times more powerful than the illumination of the star most known to us, that is, the Sun. Unfortunately, we cannot say unequivocally at what distance from our planet Mu Cephei is located.
The sun is not the biggest star in the universe. Compared to other stars, it can even be called small. But on the scale of our planet, the Sun is truly huge. Its diameter is 1.39 million km, it contains 99.86% of all matter solar system, and inside a star you can put a million of the same planets as our Earth.
The only and unique for the inhabitants of the Earth, the Sun is just one of the billions of billions of stars located in our Milky Way galaxy, and beyond it - in the vast Universe. Some of these stars are really huge: they are clearly visible in the electromagnetic spectrum and have a significant gravitational effect on the nearest celestial bodies that we can detect them even if they are millions of light years away from our planet. Their dimensions are so large that a person is simply not able to imagine such a gigantic object, therefore they are measured not in kilometers, but in solar radii and solar masses. One solar radius is 696,342 km, and one solar mass is approximately 2,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 kg.
Stars that are significantly distinguished from others by their mass and size are classified as hypergiants. Among the many hypergiants recorded in the vast expanses of the universe, three of them can be especially distinguished.
R136a1
The largest star will not always be the heaviest, and vice versa, the heaviest star does not have to be the largest at all. This is easily proved by the star under the beautiful name R136a1. Located in the Large Magellanic Cloud at a distance of 165,000 light years from Earth, its mass is 265 solar masses, which is an absolute record at the moment, while its radius is "only" 31 solar radii. The huge fuel reserves inside this hypergiant and the extremely high density of matter allow R136a1 to emit 10 million times more light than the Sun, making it the brightest and most powerful star discovered to date. Scientists suggest that at the beginning of its life, this star could reach 320 solar masses, however, the stellar matter in the atmosphere of R136a1 accelerates more than the second cosmic velocity and overcomes the gravity of this celestial body, which generates a strong stellar wind, i.e. the outflow of stellar matter into interstellar space with a rapid loss of its mass.
UY Scutum will not amaze you with its mass, which is 10 solar radii, but you will be surprised by its colossal size - about 1500 solar radii. The distance to UY Scutum is 9500 light years, and at this distance it is difficult to say the exact radius of the star, but astronomers suggest that during pulsations it can increase to 2000 solar radii! If such a giant were placed in the center of the solar system, then it would swallow up all of space, including the orbit of Jupiter along with the planet itself. The volume of this hypergiant is 5 billion times greater than the volume of the Sun.
UY Scutum in the constellation Scutum | UY Shield is located at a distance of almost ten thousand light-years from the solar system, but due to the fact that the star is one of the brightest among those discovered, it can be easily seen from Earth with an ordinary amateur telescope, and in especially favorable conditions with the naked eye. By the way, if UY Scutum were not surrounded by a large cloud of dust, then this star would be the fifth brightest object in the night sky, while now it is the eleventh.
NML Cygnus
The star NML Cygnus is a real record holder with a radius equal to 1650 solar radii. During the pulsations of a star, the radius can reach about 2700 solar radii! If you place this hypergiant in the center of the solar system, then its photosphere will go far beyond the orbit of Jupiter, covering half the distance to Saturn.
Photograph of the Cygnus OB2 group of stars | source The star NML Cygnus, located in the constellation Cygnus at a distance of 5300 light years from Earth, is the largest star known to astronomy at the moment. However, we can say with confidence that further exploration of space will bring new discoveries and records.
Living my life on a satellite big star on the outskirts of the universe, we cannot even imagine its true scope. The dimensions of the Sun seem incredible to us, and even the star is larger, it simply does not fit into our imagination. What can we say about monster stars - super and hyper giants next to which our Sun is no more than a speck of dust.
| N | Star | Optimum | Grade limits |
| 1 | 2037 | 1530-2544 | |
| 2 | 1770 | 1540-2000 | |
| 3 | 1708 | 1516-1900 | |
| 4 | 1700 | 1050-1900 | |
| 5 | 1535 | ||
| 6 | 1520 | 850-1940 | |
| 7 | 1490 | 950-2030 | |
| 8 | 1420 | 1420-2850 | |
| 9 | 1420 | 1300-1540 | |
| 10 | 1411 | 1287-1535 | |
| 11 | 1260 | 650-1420 | |
| 12 | 1240 | 916-1240 | |
| 13 | 1230 | 780-1230 | |
| 14 | 1205 | 690-1520 | |
| 15 | 1190 | 1190-1340 | |
| 16 | 1183 | 1183-2775 | |
| 17 | 1140 | 856-1553 | |
| 18 | 1090 | ||
| 19 | 1070 | 1070-1500 | |
| 20 | 1060 | ||
| 21 | 1009 | 1009-1460 |
The star is located in the Constellation of the Altar, being the largest space object in it. It was discovered by an astronomer from Sweden, Västerlund, whose name it was named in 1961.
The mass of Westerland 1-26 exceeds the Sun by 35 times. With a brightness of 400,000. However, it is impossible to see the star with the naked eye due to its huge distance from our planet, which is 13,500,000 light years. If you place Westerland in our solar system, its outer shell will engulf the orbit of Jupiter.
Giant from the Large Magellanic Cloud. The size of the star is almost 3 billion kilometers (1540 - 2000 solar radii), the distance to WOH G64 is 163 thousand light years. years.
The star has long been considered the largest, but recent studies have shown that its radius has significantly decreased, and according to some estimates for 2009, it amounted to 1540 sizes of our star. Scientists suspect that strong stellar wind is to blame
UY Shield
In the Milky Way Constellation, and indeed in the entire universe known to mankind, it is the brightest and one of the largest stars. The removal of this red supergiant from Earth is 9,600 light years. The diameter changes quite actively (at least according to observations from the Earth), so we can talk about an average of 1708 solar diameters.
The star belongs to the category of red supergiants, its luminosity exceeds the solar one by 120,000 times. Cosmic dust and gas accumulated around, over the billions of years of the existence of a star, significantly reduce the luminosity of a star, so it is impossible to determine it more accurately.
Jupiter would be completely engulfed along with its orbit if the Sun had the dimensions of UY Scutum. Oddly enough, for all its greatness, the star is only 10 times more massive than our star.
The star belongs to the class of binary, 5000 light-years away from the Earth. About 1700 times larger than our Sun in linear dimensions. VV Cephei A is considered one of the largest studied stars in our Galaxy.
The history of its observations dates back to 1937. It was studied mainly by Russian astronomers. The conducted studies have revealed the periodicity of the dimming of the star once every 20 Earth years. In our galaxy, it is considered one of the most bright stars. The mass of VV Cepheus A exceeds the solar mass by about 80-100 times.
The radius of the space object is 1535 times greater than the solar one, the mass is about 50. The brightness index RW of Cepheus is 650,000 times higher than that of the Sun. The surface temperature of a celestial object ranges from 3500 to 4200 K, depending on the intensity of thermonuclear reactions in the bowels of the star.
Super bright variable hypergiant from the constellation Sagittarius. VX Sagittarius pulsates in long irregular periods. This is the most studied supergiant star, its radius is 850 - 1940 solar and tends to decrease.
The distance from Earth to this yellow supergiant is 12,000 light years. The mass is equal to 39 solar (despite the fact that the mass of the star itself is 45 times greater than the mass of the Sun). The size of V766 Centauri is amazing, it is 1490 times larger than our Sun in diameter.
The yellow giant is located in a system of two stars, representing their part. The location of the second star of this system is such that it touches V766 Centauri with its outer shell. The described object has a luminosity exceeding the solar one by 1,000,000 times.
According to some reports, the largest star in the known universe, its radius, according to some calculations, can reach 2850 solar. But more often it is accepted as 1420.
The mass of VY Canis Major exceeds the mass of the Sun by 17 times. The star was discovered at the beginning of the century before last. Later studies added information about all its main characteristics. The size of the star is so large that it takes eight light years to fly around its equator.
The red giant is located in the constellation Canis Major. According to the latest scientific data, within the next 100 years, a star will explode, and it will turn into a supernova. The distance from our planet is approximately 4500 light years, which in itself eliminates any danger from the explosion to mankind.
The diameter of this star, which belongs to the category of red supergiants, is approximately 1411 solar diameters. Removal of AH Scorpio from our planet is 8900 light years.
The star is surrounded by a dense shell of dust, a fact confirmed by numerous photographs taken through telescopic observation. The processes occurring in the bowels of the luminary cause the changeability of the brightness of the star.
The mass of AH Scorpio is equal to 16 solar masses, the diameter exceeds the solar one by 1200 times. The maximum surface temperature is assumed to be 10,000 K, but this value is not fixed and can change both in one direction and in the other.
This star is also known as Herschel's Garnet Star after the astronomer who discovered it. It is located in the constellation of the same name Cepheus, it is triple, it is separated from the Earth at a distance of 5600 light years.
The main star of the system, MU Cepheus A, is a red supergiant whose radius, according to various estimates, exceeds the solar one by 1300-1650 times. The mass is 30 times greater than the Sun, the temperature at the surface is from 2000 to 2500 K. The luminosity of MU Cepheus exceeds the Sun by more than 360,000 times.
This red supergiant belongs to the category of variable objects, located in the constellation Cygnus. The approximate distance from the Sun is 5500 light years.
The radius of BI Cygnus is approximately from 916-1240 solar radii. The mass exceeds our star by 20 times, the luminosity is 25,000 times. The temperature of the upper layer of this space object is from 3500 to 3800 K. According to recent studies, the temperature on the surface of the star varies greatly due to intense thermonuclear reactions of the interior. During the period of the greatest bursts of thermonuclear activity, the surface temperature can reach 5500 K.
A supergiant discovered in 1872, which becomes a hypergiant during the maximum pulsation. The distance to S Perseus is 2420 parsecs, the pulsation radius is from 780 to 1230 r.s.
This red supergiant belongs to the category of irregular, variable objects with unpredictable pulsation. It is located in the constellation Cepheus, 10,500 light years away. more massive than the sun 45 times, the radius is 1500 times greater than the sun, which in digital terms is approximately 1,100,000,000 kilometers.
If we conventionally place V354 Cephei in the center of the solar system, Saturn would be inside its surface.
This red giant is also a variable star. A semi-correct, fairly bright object is located at a distance of about 9600 light years from our planet.
The radius of the star is within 1190-1940 solar radii. The mass is 30 times more. The surface temperature of the object is 3700 K, the luminosity index of the star exceeds that of the Sun by 250,000 - 280,000 times.
Largest known star. At a temperature of 2300 K, its radius increases to 2775 solar, which is almost a third larger than any star known to us.
In the normal state, this indicator is 1183.
The space object is located in the constellation Cygnus, refers to red variable supergiants. The average distance from our planet, according to the calculations of astronomers, is from 4600 to 5800 light years. The estimate of the radius of a celestial object is from 856 to 1553 solar radii. Such a run-up of indicators is due to the different level of pulsation of the star in different periods of time.
The mass of BC Cygnus is from 18 to 22 solar mass units. The surface temperature is from 2900 to 3700 K, the luminosity value is about 150,000 times higher than the sun.
This well-studied variable star supergiant is located in the Carina Nebula. The approximate distance of a space object from the Sun is 8500 light years.
Estimates of the radius of the red giant vary significantly, ranging from 1090 to the radius of our star. The mass is 16 times greater than the mass of the Sun, the value of the surface temperature is 3700-3900 K. Average the luminosity of the star is from 130,000 to 190,000 solar.
This red giant is located in the constellation Centaurus, the distance from our planet, according to various estimates, is from 8,500 to 10,000 light years. To date, the object has been studied relatively little, there is little information about it. It is only known that the radius of V396 Centauri exceeds the similar parameter of the Sun by about 1070 times. Presumably, the temperature on the surface of the star is also estimated. According to rough estimates, it is in the range of 3800 - 45,000 K.
CK Carina refers to the so-called "variable" stellar objects, located in the constellation Carina, at a distance of approximately 7500 light-years from our planet. Its radius exceeds the Sun by 1060 times. Astronomers have calculated that if this object were located in the center of the solar system, the planet Mars would be on its surface.
The star has a mass exceeding the mass of the Sun by about 25 times. Luminosity - 170,000 Suns, surface temperature at the level of 3550 K.
The star is a red supergiant with a mass of 10 to 20 solar masses. Located in the constellation Sagittarius, the distance of a celestial body from our planet is 20,000 light years. The radius, according to the maximum estimates, is approximately 1460 solar.
The luminosity exceeds the solar one by 250,000 times. The temperature on the surface is from 3500 to 4000 K.
Do you know what is the largest star in the universe? The sun, which is the main luminary and the basis of our planetary system, is not even among the ten largest and brightest objects in outer space. At the same time, this rating is constantly undergoing changes due to the development of astronomical research technologies.
You will learn about the largest and brightest stars discovered so far. We will talk about their main features and location, and also compare these luminaries with the Sun.
The largest known star
The name of the largest star in the universe is UY Scuti (in Latin - UY Scuti). It is located in the constellation of the same name, 9.5 thousand light years from the solar system. The giant object was discovered back in 1860 by astronomers from the German city of Bonn.
Physical parameters
The largest star in the universe has a radius that is 1708 times that of the sun. And at the peak of the pulsation, it expands to 1900 Suns. But, despite its gigantic size, Shield's UY is quite lightweight. It is constantly losing a large amount of matter and at the moment its mass is equal to the mass of ten Suns.
In terms of brightness, UY Shield is the second in the entire outer space. According to this indicator, it exceeds our luminary by 340 thousand times. But so much gas and dust has accumulated around it that it cannot be seen in the sky with the naked eye (11th level of apparent stellar magnitude). At the same time, its brilliance is unstable, which makes UY Shield a variable luminary.
The heaviest star
The first place on the pedestal of the most massive stars in the Universe is occupied by R136a1, located in the Tarantula Nebula. This region of plasma is located in the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy, 163,000 light-years away from the Milky Way.
R136a1 was discovered by British astronomer Paul Crowther and his research team in 2010. While studying the RMC 136a cluster, they discovered an incredibly large object. The luminary turned out to be the largest in this formation, and indeed in the entire observable Universe.
Characteristics of the star giant
R136a1 is a blue hypergiant. This is a rare category of stars with the largest size, mass and brightness, but with a short lifespan.
The mass of the stellar giant exceeds the solar one by 315 times. This is one of the mysteries for scientists, because. Previously, it was believed that no luminary could have a mass greater than 150 solar masses. But this rule applies to primary celestial bodies formed from helium-hydrogen clouds. R136a1 most likely formed by the merger of several large objects.
The radius of this star is 36 solar, and in brightness it exceeds the Sun by almost 9 million times. Due to its size, the hypergiant throws out very powerful streams of ions similar to solar wind. This makes it impossible for life to exist on bodies near it.
The lifespan of R136a1, like other luminaries with a mass of more than 150 solar masses, is quite short. After depleting the supply of hydrogen in the core, these space objects explode, forming hypernovae. The power of such an explosion exceeds the power of a supernova by more than 10 times. In this case, huge bursts of gamma radiation are formed. It is believed that it was the explosion of one of these hypernovae near the solar system that caused the extinction of life on Earth about 450 million years ago. The "death" of the heaviest star in the universe, according to astronomers' calculations, will not bring any harm to our planet.
The largest star in our galaxy
With the largest known star in the universe, we figured it out. But it is far from the Earth and without the help of good optics it cannot be detected in the night sky. There are giants in our galaxy too. Topping their list is Eta Kiel. This unusual object is a system of two objects rotating around a common center of gravity.
The largest star in the Milky Way is located in the constellation Carina, which can be observed in the southern hemisphere of the starry sky. The light from it reaches the Earth in 7500 years.
The Eta Carinae system consists of two objects - the blue hypergiant Eta Carinae A and the blue star η Car B. The main component of the system belongs to variable luminaries, has a mass of 150 Suns and a radius of about 800 solar. In this case, the luminary is rapidly losing stellar matter and will soon become a supernova. η Car B is 30 times heavier and 20 times larger than the Sun. The temperature of its surface exceeds 37 * 10 3 K. Unlike the main component, this component of the Eta Carina system has been little studied.
The components of the Eta Carina system vary considerably in weight and size. The main hypergiant is Eta Carinae A, a huge variable star. It is 150 times heavier and almost 800 times larger. This is one of the most unstable bodies in outer space. It is rapidly losing its substance, which will soon lead to a supernova explosion.
Component B, or η Car B, belongs to the spectral class O. Its mass is 30 solar masses, and its radius is 20 times that of the sun. η Car B, like a satellite, revolves around the main component of the system.
Due to the variable luminosity of Eta Carinae A, the brightness of the entire system is constantly changing. The last observed peak of luminosity occurred in the 40s of the 19th century. Then the largest star in the Milky Way shone brighter than the Sun 50 million times. Then there was a pseudo-supernova explosion, which reduced the brightness of Eta Carina by a factor of 10. It is at this level today. The second component of the system is several hundred thousand times brighter than the Sun.
The explosion of Eta Keel A will not harm all living beings on the surface. However, this event can disable satellites in low Earth orbit, as well as affect the thickness of the ozone layer of the atmosphere.
Top 10 Giants
There are many objects larger than the Sun in the Metagalaxy. We will list only the 10 largest stars in the universe:
- VY Canis Majoris is a hypergiant of the constellation of the same name, 1170 parsecs away from the solar system. The radius is 2000 solar. It surpasses our luminary by 270,000 times in brightness.
- VV Cephei is a two-component star system in the constellation Cepheus. It is 5,000 light years away from Earth. Belongs to the group of red hypergiants. 1700 times larger and 200,000 times brighter than the Sun.
- MY Cephei is another major star in the constellation Cepheus. Belongs to the group of red hypergiants. Radius - 1600 solar.
- V838 Monocerotis is 20,000 light-years away from Earth. It has variable luminosity. The size varies from 1200 to 1900 solar radii according to different groups of researchers.
- WOH G64 is a red supergiant from the constellation Pisces. Light from it reaches the solar system in 163,000 years. Its size is 1540-2200 radii of our luminary, and its luminosity is 500,000 Suns.
- V354 Cephei is 690-1250 times larger than the Sun and 400,000 times brighter than it.
- KY Cygnus - is located in the constellation of the same name, located 5 thousand light years from Earth. Its radius is 1450 solar.
- KW Sagittarius is a red supergiant, exceeding our luminary by 1460 times.
- RW Cephei - its dimensions are from 1250 to 1650 solar radii.
Star - VY Canis Majoris is the largest of all known stars in the Milky Way. A mention of her can be found in a star catalog published back in 1801. There she is listed as a star of the seventh magnitude.
The red hypergiant VY Canis Majoris is located at a distance of 4900 light years from Earth. It is 2100 times larger than the Sun. In other words, if we imagine that VY suddenly appeared in the place of our luminary, then it would swallow up all the planets up to Saturn. In order to fly around such a "ball" at a speed of 900 km / h, it will take 1100 years. However, when moving at the speed of light, it will take much less time - only 8 minutes.
Since the middle of the 19th century, VY Canis Majoris has been known to have a crimson hue. It was assumed that it is a multiple. But later it turned out that this is a single star and it does not have a companion. And the raspberry glow spectrum is provided by the surrounding nebula.
3 or more stars that are seen as closely spaced are called a multiple star. If in fact they are just close to the line of sight, then this is an optical multiple star, if they are united by gravity, it is physically multiple.
With such gigantic dimensions, the mass of the star is only 40 times the mass of the Sun. The density of gases inside it is very low - this explains such an impressive size and relatively low weight. The force of gravity is not able to prevent the loss of stellar fuel. It is believed that by now the hypergiant has already lost more than half of its original mass.
Back in the middle of the 19th century, scientists noted that a giant star was losing its brightness. However, this parameter is still very impressive even now - the brightness of the VY glow is 500 times greater than the Sun.
Scientists believe that when the VY fuel runs out, it will explode in a supernova. The explosion will destroy any life for several light years around. But the Earth will not suffer - the distance is too great.
And the smallest
In 2006, it appeared in the press that a group of Canadian scientists led by Dr. Harvey Reicher had discovered the smallest of the currently known stars in our galaxy. It is located in the star cluster NGC 6397 - the second farthest from the Sun. The research was carried out using the Hubble telescope.
The mass of the discovered luminary is close to the theoretically calculated lower limit and is 8.3% of the mass of the Sun. The existence of smaller stellar objects is considered impossible. Their small size simply does not allow nuclear fusion reactions to begin. The brightness of such objects is similar to the glow of a candle lit on the moon.
