The size of the largest star. Mysteries of space: what is the name of the largest star
>The largest star in the Universe
UY Scuti is the largest star in the Universe: description and characteristics of the star with photo, location in the constellation, distance from the Earth, list of the largest stars.
It's easy to feel tiny when looking at the night sky. You just need to select an object for comparison. How about a star? Just look into the territory of the Scutum constellation and you will find the largest star in our galaxy and visible Universe - UY Scutum.
In 1860, the star was found by German scientists at the Bonn Observatory. But only in 2012 it was possible to conduct a survey with the Very Large Telescope (Atacama Desert). Since its discovery, it has become the largest star in size, surpassing Betelgeuse, VY Canis Majoris and NML Cygnus.
Of course, there are record holders for brightness and density, but UY Scuti has the largest overall size, with a radius of 1,054,378,000 - 1,321,450,000 miles, which is 1,700 times the Sun.
People think that the Earth is huge. But let's take an 8-inch ball. Then, in terms of scale, the Sun will be 73 feet in diameter, which is greater than the height of the White House. Now let's put UY Shield next to it and get a diameter of 125,000 feet.
What happens if you put UY Scutum in the solar position? The star will dine on the first five planets and leave the orbital path of Jupiter. But many people think that it is even capable of crossing the orbit of Saturn.
Well, let’s be glad that the star is still not located in the Solar System and is 9500 light years away.
It is important to emphasize that with the improvement of terrestrial instruments, we are discovering new objects that are distant over long distances. This means that one day we may come across an even bigger star.
It is worth noting that the largest known stars are represented here, since many objects remain outside the field of view. Also, some of these are variables, which means they are constantly compressing and expanding. Now you know what the biggest star in space is. Let's look at the rest of the ten biggest stars in the universe:
List of the largest stars in the Universe
The radius of the red supergiant VY Canis Majoris reaches 1800-2100 solar, making it the largest in the galaxy. If placed in place, it would cover the orbital path. Located 3900 light years away in the constellation Canis Major.
It is a red supergiant, 1000 times the radius of the Sun. Located 6000 light years away. Represented by a binary system where the main star is accompanied by a small blue one.
Mu Cephei
Mu Cephei is a red supergiant whose radius is 1,650 times larger than the Sun's and 38,000 times brighter.
V 838 Monoceros is a red variable star located 20,000 light years away. It can reach the size of Mu Cephei or VV Cepheus A, but the large distance makes it difficult to determine accurately. The range covers 380-1970 solar radii.
A red supergiant that is 1540 times larger than the solar radius. Located in the constellation Dorado.
V354 Cephei
A red supergiant, 1520 times the solar radius. Located 9000 light years away in the constellation Cepheus.
KY Swan
1420 times larger than the solar radius, although some estimates put the figure at 2850 times. The star is located 5,000 light years away and has not yet been able to obtain a clear image.
KW Sagittarius
The red supergiant is 1,460 times larger in radius than the Sun. Located 7800 light years away.
RW Cepheus
A red supergiant with a radius of 1600 solar. From the position of the Sun, it could reach the orbital path of Jupiter.
A red supergiant whose radius is 1000 times greater than the Sun. This is the most popular star, as it is located quite close (640 light years) in . It can transform into a supernova at any moment.
The universe is a very big place, and there is no way in which we can know which star is the biggest. But what is the biggest star we know of?
Before we get to the answer, let's look at our own Sun for scale. Our mighty star is 1.4 million km across. This is such a huge distance that it is difficult to put it to scale. The Sun makes up 99.9% of all matter in our Solar System. In fact, there are one million planet Earths inside the Sun.
Astronomers use the terms "solar radius" and "solar mass" to compare larger and smaller stars, so we'll do the same. The solar radius is 690,000 km, one solar mass is 2 x 10 30 kilograms. This amounts to 2,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 kg.
One huge known star in our galaxy is Eta Carinae, located 7,500 light years from the Sun, weighing 120 solar masses. It is a million times brighter than the Sun. Most stars lose their mass over time, much like the solar wind. But Eta Carinae is so large that every year it throws off a mass equal to 500 Earth masses. With so much mass lost, it is very difficult for astronomers to accurately measure where a star ends and its stellar wind begins.
So the best answer from astronomers right now is that the radius of Eta Carinae is 250 times the size of the Sun.
And one interesting note: Eta Carinae is set to explode soon, making it one of the most spectacular supernovae humans have ever seen.
But the most massive star in the Universe is considered to be R136a1, located in the Large Magellanic Cloud. There are disputes, but its mass may be more than 265 solar masses. And this is a mystery to astronomers, because theoretically the largest stars were thought to be about 150 solar masses, formed in the early Universe, when stars formed from hydrogen and helium left over from the Big Bang. The answer to this controversy is that R136a1 may have been formed when several large stars merged together. Needless to say, R136a1 could explode into a hypernova any day now.
In terms of big stars, let's look at a familiar star in the constellation Orion - Betelgeuse. This red supergiant has a radius 950 to 1200 times the size of the Sun, and would span the orbit of Jupiter if placed in our Solar System.
But this is nothing. The largest known star is VY Canis Majoris. A red hypergiant star in the constellation Canis Major, located approximately 5,000 light-years from Earth. Professor Robert Humphreys of the University of Minnesota recently calculated its upper size to be greater than 1,540 times the size of the Sun. If VY Canis Majoris was placed in our system, its surface would extend beyond the orbit of Saturn.
It's the largest star we know of, but the Milky Way likely has dozens of stars that further obscure the clouds of gas and dust so we can't see them.
But let's see if we can answer the original question, what is the biggest star in the Universe? Obviously, it is virtually impossible for us to find it, the Universe is a very big place, and there is no way in which we could peer into every corner.
Pistol is another star, which is considered one of the largest.
The largest stars will be cool supergiants, theorists say. For example, the temperature of VY Canis Majoris is only 3500 K. A really large star would be even colder. A cool supergiant with a temperature of 3000 K would be 2,600 times the size of the sun.
And finally, here's a great video that shows the size of various objects in space, from our tiny planet to VV Cepheus. VY Canis Majoris is not included in the animation, probably because they had no new information on this star.
Astronomers never cease to delight us with new discoveries, finding more and more stars in the Universe. Some of them can be seen at night with the naked eye, simply by looking into the night sky. Seeing others requires the most powerful telescopes. What is the biggest star in the universe? Where is it located and how is it different from its neighbors? We invite you to familiarize yourself with the rating of the largest stars that have already been discovered by astronomers in the universe.
AH Scorpio
This is a real red giant, which is located in the region of the constellation Scorpio at a distance of 12 thousand light years relative to our planet. Its radius exceeds the radius of the Sun by 1.5 thousand times.
KY Swan
To reach this star, which is located in the constellation Cygnus, it will take as much as 5 thousand light years to fly from Earth. Comparing the radius of the planet with the Sun, we can say that its radius is 1420 solar radii. But the planet’s mass is not so large - it is only 25 times heavier than our star. It could illuminate much more than the Sun, since the brightness of KY Cygnus exceeds the solar brightness many millions of times, so it may well win in the “Brightest” category.
VV Cephei A
This double is located in the constellation of the same name, the distance to which is about 5000 light years. It is recognized as one of the largest in its galaxy, second only to VY Canis Majoris. Estimating the radius at the equator of this star, we can say that it is equal to 1900 equatorial radii of our star.
VY Canis Majoris
If we consider the Milky Way, then it was this star that became its record holder, with a radius greater than the size of the Sun by more than 1540 times. According to astronomers' research, this star is very unstable and there is an assumption that over the next 100,000 years it will certainly explode, resulting in a gamma-ray burst that can destroy all life that is within 1-2 light years. As for planet Earth, it can only be saved by the enormous distance from our planet to VY Canis Majoris, which is about 4000 light years. Therefore, earthlings can be calm.
VX Sagittarius
Scientists note the pulsation of this variable star, as studies have proven periodic changes in its temperature and volume. And its pulsation can be compared to the beating of a human heart. The equatorial radius of VX Sagittarius is 1520 solar. The star is located in the constellation of the same name, from which it received its name.
Westerland 1-26
The numerical value of the radius of this giant exceeds the Solar one by 1540 times. From Earth to Westerland 1-26 is about 11,500 light years.
WOH G64
The star WOH G64 is called a red star. It can be found by exploring the constellation Doradus, which is located in a galaxy called the Large Magellanic Cloud. Our solar system is about 163 thousand light years away. Its radius is 1730 times greater than that of the Sun. According to research, the star will cease to exist by becoming a supernova. However, this will not happen earlier than in 10-20 thousand years. Although during this time a lot of things can still change.
RW Cepheus
This giant star is red in color and is located more than 2,700 light years from Earth. Its radius at the equator is 1636 times greater than the radius of the Sun.
NML Swan
The star acquired its name based on the name of the constellation where it was discovered by astronomers. Its radius is 1650 times greater than the solar radius. A distance of 5300 light years separates us from NML Cygnus. While studying the structure of the planet, scientists discovered sulfur oxide, hydrogen sulfide and other substances in it.
UY Shield
Scientists agree that UY Scuti is the largest in the entire universe. The record holder is located in the constellation of the same name at a distance of approximately 9.5 thousand light years from us. The star is very bright, but this is hampered by the huge amount of dust and gas around the planet.
Determining the largest star in the Universe, its size and mass has always been not easy for scientists. The angular sizes of stars are so small that even the largest telescopes cannot see stars in the form of round disks. Accordingly, the sizes of stars cannot be determined even with the largest telescope. Scientists have learned to determine the sizes of the largest stars based on the three most well-known methods:
- By observing the eclipse of the earth's satellite, the Moon, scientists have learned to determine the angular size, and, knowing the distance to the object, it is possible to determine its true, linear dimensions;
- The size of a star can be determined using special stellar optical interferometers. The operating principle of these devices is based on the interference of starlight, which is reflected by a pair of widely spaced mirrors.
- The size of a star can also be calculated theoretically, based on estimates of the total luminosity and temperature of stars according to the Stefan-Boltzmann law. The luminosity of a star is related to the radius of the star by the formula L = ?T4 4?R2 or
This method allows you to find the radius of a star from its temperature and luminosity, since the parameters R, L and T are known.
What is a star?
Star - a luminous gas (plasma) celestial body formed from a gas-dust environment in which thermonuclear reactions occur.
Sun - a typical dwarf star of spectral class G2, with a radius of 696 thousand km.
The largest star is a red hypergiant, although the difficulty of determining the exact size of most stars means that it is impossible to say with much certainty which star is the largest in the universe.
Red hypergiants are stars in the very last stages of evolution. When the supply of hydrogen used as a source of nuclear energy in the central part of the star's core begins to deplete, a stage of internal change begins, causing the outer layers of the star to greatly expand. A red hypergiant star consists of a vast shell of very tenuous gas surrounding the central core of the star.
Hypergiants - these are stars of enormous size and mass, having a luminosity class of 0 on the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram (the diagram shows the relationship between absolute stellar magnitude, spectral class, luminosity, and surface temperature of the star), hypergiant stars are defined as the most powerful, heaviest, brightest and at the same time the rarest and shortest-lived supergiants.
Which star is considered the largest in the universe?
The equatorial radius of the Sun is used as a unit for measuring the radius of stars - 695,500 km.
As mentioned above, the exact order of sizes of the largest stars is difficult to determine, because many large stars have extensive atmospheres and opaque dust shells and disks, or even pulsate.
In the very first place among the largest stars in the universe is the star VY Canis Majoris(lat. VY Canis Majoris, VY CMa). The distance from Earth to the largest star in the universe, VY Canis Majoris, is approximately 5,000 light years. The radius of the star was determined in 2005 and is in the range of 1800-2100 solar radii. The mass of the largest star is ~15-25 solar masses.
The second largest star in space belongs to the star WOH G64, located in the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy. The radius is 1738 solar radii.
In third place is a large star VV Cephei A, with a radius of 1600-1900 radii of Sontz.
In fourth place is the star Mu Cephei(? Cep / ? Cephei), better known as Herschel's Garnet Star, is a red supergiant star located in the constellation Cepheus. The radius of the star is 1650 radii of the star called the Sun.
Star takes fifth place KY Swan- a star located in the constellation Cygnus at a distance of about 5153 light years from us. This is one of the largest stars known to science. Radius 1420 solar radii. 
The ratio of the sizes of the planets of the Solar system and some well-known stars, including VY Canis Majoris:
1.Mercury
5.Aldebaran
6.Betelgeuse
What is the heaviest (massive) star in the Universe?
On June 21, 2010, astronomers led by Paul Crowther, professor of astrophysics at the University of Sheffield, while studying a huge number of star clusters, discovered a star whose mass greatly exceeds the mass of the Sun.
Scientists have discovered several stars with surface temperatures of more than 40,000 degrees. This is more than seven times hotter than the Sun and several million times brighter. Some of these stars were born with masses greater than 150 solar masses.
The heaviest star was named R136a1, from the RMC 136a cluster (better known as R136), a cluster of young, massive and hottest stars, located inside the Tarantula Nebula, located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, 165,000 light-years from planet Earth. The R136a1 star is one of the most powerful stars in the universe, with a luminosity 10 million times greater than the Sun. R136a1 has a mass of 265 solar masses and a radius of 67 solar radii.
What is the closest star to the Solar System?
The closest star to Earth after the Sun is Proxima Centauri, which is 4.243 ± 0.002 light years from Earth, which is 270,000 times the distance from Earth to the Sun. The star Proxima Centauri is a red dwarf star orbiting the Alpha Centauri system.
The mass of Proxima Centauri is 0.123±0.006 solar masses, which is 7 times less than the mass of the Sun and 150 times more than the mass of the planet Jupiter. Age 4.85?109 years. Temperature 3042 ± 117 K. Radius 0.145 ± 0.011 solar radii, i.e. the actual diameter is 7 times smaller than the diameter of the star Sun and only 1.5 times the diameter of the planet Jupiter.
What is the brightest star in the night sky?
Sirius is the brightest star in the sky, from the constellation Canis Major. The star Sirius can be observed from almost any region of the Earth, with the exception of only its northernmost regions. Sirius is one of the stars closest to us and is only 8.6 light years away from the Solar System. The brightness of Sirius exceeds the brightness of the Sun by 23 times. Sirius originally consisted of two powerful blue stars of spectral class A, now the age of this double star is about 230 million years.
The brightest star in the universe is the star Pollux in the constellation Gemini. Although it is very difficult to determine the brightest star. Also competing in the list of the brightest stars are the following stars: Shaula (constellation Scorpio); Gacrux (constellation of the Southern Cross); Castor (in the constellation Gemini). The Pistol Star is one of the brightest stars in our Galaxy. The luminosity of the Pistol star exceeds 1.7 million luminosities of the Sun, i.e. in 20 seconds, the Pistol star emits as much light as the Sun emits in a whole year.
