The biggest star in our space house. The biggest star in the universe

the universe is very great place, and there is no way we can find out which star is the largest. But what is the largest star known to us?

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 on a scale. The sun makes up 99.9% of all matter in our solar system. In fact, there are one million Earth planets inside the Sun.

Astronomers use the terms "solar radius" and "solar mass" to compare larger and smaller stars, and we'll do the same. The solar radius is 690,000 km, one solar mass is 2 x 10 30 kilograms. This is 2,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 kg.

One huge famous star in our galaxy - Eta Carina, located at a distance of 7500 light years from the Sun weighing 120 solar masses. She's a million times brighter than the sun. Most stars lose their mass over time, much like the solar wind. But Eta Carina is so big 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.

Thus, the best answer from astronomers now is that the radius of Eta Carina is 250 times the size of the Sun.

And one interesting note: This Carina should explode soon, it will be one of the most spectacular supernovas that people have ever seen.

But the most massive star in the universe is 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 considered to be about 150 solar masses, formed in the early universe when stars were 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.

From point of view big stars let's consider a familiar star located in the constellation of Orion - Betelgeuse. This red supergiant has a radius of 950 to 1200 times the size of the Sun, and would encompass the orbit of Jupiter if placed in our solar system.

But this is nothing. Largest known VY star Big Dog. A red hypergiant in the constellation Canis Major, located about 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 Major were placed in our system, then its surface would extend beyond the orbit of Saturn.

It's the largest star we know of, but the Milky Way probably 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 largest star in the universe? Obviously, it is virtually impossible for us to find it, the universe is a very large place, and there is no way we could peer into every corner.

The gun is another star, which is considered one of the largest.

According to theorists, the largest stars will be cold supergiants. For example, the temperature of VY Canis Majoris is only 3500 K. A really big star would be even colder. A cold supergiant with a temperature of 3000 K would be 2,600 solar in size.

Finally, here's a great video that shows the size of various objects in space, starting with our tiny planet ending with VV Cephei. VY Canis Major is not included in the animation, probably because they didn't have new information by this star.

5. VV Cephei A

The fifth position in our rating went to the double star VV Cephei A, which has a radius of 1050–1900 solar. It is located in the constellation Cepheus. The luminary itself is an eclipsing variable of the Algol type. Such objects are characterized by the presence of a colder star passing in front of a hotter one. So some of the light from the hotter object is eclipsed, and the overall brightness of the pair is temporarily reduced. VV Cephei is located at a distance of 5 thousand light years from us. The binary star consists of VV Cepheus A (a red hypergiant with a radius of 1050 solar) and VV Cepheus B, which is a blue star. main sequence class B0. It revolves around VV Cephei A in an elliptical orbit.

A red hypergiant has a mass of approximately 25–100 solar masses. VV Cephei A is at least the seventh largest star of all, known to science. It also holds an honorable second place when it comes to the Milky Way galaxy specifically. In general, such luminaries (meaning hypergiants) are considered the most powerful, heaviest and brightest of the supergiants. In addition, they are extremely rare. As for the "companion", this star is ten times larger than our Sun in diameter, and the luminosity index is 100,000 times higher.

VV Cephei A and the Sun / ©Reddit

4. VY Canis Major

On the fourth position of the ranking is VY Canis Major, which is located in the constellation Canis Major. Before us is a hypergiant. The distance from us to VY Canis Majoris is 3900 light years, so it is not a fact that humanity will ever be able to explore this object in detail. If we talk about size, then the radius of the star is up to 1540 radii of the Sun. There is another version, according to which we have an ordinary red supergiant, the radius of which does not exceed 600 solar. In general, disputes about the size continue, although there is no doubt that we have a real “monster” in front of us. To imagine its size, let's give an example: if we imagine aircraft, whose speed is 4.5 thousand km / h, then it will take about 160 years to completely fly around VY Canis Major.

With such monstrous dimensions, the mass of the luminary is only seventeen solar. This indicates an extremely low density of the star. Scientists believe that its explosion may occur within the next 100 thousand years. This threatens a catastrophe for nearby systems, but the Earth, according to scientists, will not be affected by this cataclysm.

VY Canis Major / ©Wikipedia

And here is another red supergiant, which is located in a nearby galaxy called the Large Magellanic Cloud. The latter is an SBm-type dwarf galaxy and a satellite of the Milky Way. The star WOH G64 is extremely far from us - it is located at a distance of 163 thousand light years from the solar system. The lower limit of the star's radius is 1540 solar, the upper one is 1730. Probably, WOH G64 is not the most a big star of all, but it firmly ranks first in size, if we talk about the luminaries of the Large Magellanic Cloud.

It has been suggested that the luminosity of WOH G64 is 500,000 solar masses, with a mass 40 times greater than that of our star. Meanwhile, these data cannot be correlated with the low temperature of WOH G64, which is 3200 K. Subsequent observations showed that the luminosity of the star is reduced by the dust and gas around it. Be that as it may, this star is huge: if placed in the center of our system, then the surface of WOH G64 would reach the orbit of Saturn, the sixth planet from the Sun.

The stellar wind led to the fact that the giant star lost up to a third of its entire mass. Within a few thousand years, it can turn into a supernova. However, this does not threaten the Earth: the star is located at an incredibly large distance from our planet.

Giant torus around WOH G64 / ©ESO

UY Schita is a bright red supergiant of spectral type M4Ia. It is located in the constellation of the Shield. It is classified as a semi-regular variable star with an approximate pulsation period of 740 days. First of all, this shone was interesting for its size, which allows it to gain a foothold in the second line of the ranking of the biggest stars. If we draw an analogy with our Sun, then the volume of the UY Shield is about 5 billion times larger. In this case, the radius of the star can be 1900 solar.

Assuming no light pollution, UY Scutum can be viewed using a normal small telescope or even binoculars. It is a reddish star located 2° north of a type-A star visible to the naked eye ? Scutum and 2 minutes of arc northwest of the Eagle Nebula. And although taking into account infrared radiation the brightness of the star exceeds the brightness of the Sun by 340 thousand times, this object "hides" behind a huge layer of dust and gas around it. UY Scuti is also notable for being the fastest burning star. It loses an amount of mass equal to 5.8 10 −5 M ? /year.

UY Shield / ©Spacegid

1. NML Cygnus

And the well-deserved first place in our rating rightfully goes to the red hypergiant NML Cygnus. It is located in the constellation Cygnus (the northern hemisphere of the starry sky). Its radius can reach 2775 solar! However, there is also a lower limit - in this case, the indicator is approximately 1640 solar radii. The distance to the star is 5.3 thousand light years. The mass of the giant is 25-40 solar, and the luminosity exceeds the performance of our own star by 270 thousand times. NML Cygni is distinguished by extremely large mass loss rates, which amount to 2×10×4 solar masses per year.

The star was discovered in 1965. Later it turned out that it contains silicon monoxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, carbon monosulfide, sulfur monoxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide. However, the giant luminary continues to hide its secrets, and it will be possible to find answers to many questions only many years later.

The stellar association in which NML Cygnus is located / ©Wikimedia

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, just by looking at the night sky. In order to see others, the most powerful telescopes are required. What is the largest 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

This star, which is located in the constellation Cygnus, will have to fly from the Earth as much as 5 thousand light years. Comparing the radius of the planet with the Sun, we can say that its radius is equal to 1420 solar radii. But the mass of the planet 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 one by many millions of times, so it can quite win in the “Brightest” nomination.

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 Major. Estimating the radius along the equator of this star, we can say that it is equal to 1900 equatorial radii of our star.

VY Big Dog

If we consider the Milky Way, then it was this star that became its champion, with a radius exceeding the size of the Sun by more than 1540 times. According to astronomers, 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 the planet Earth, only a huge distance from our planet to VY Canis Major, which is about 4000 light years, can save it. Therefore, earthlings can be calm.

VX Sagittarius

Scientists note the pulsation of this variable star, as studies have proven a periodic change in its temperature and volume. And its pulsation can be compared with the beating of a human heart. The equatorial radius of VX Sagittarius is equal to 1520 solar. The star is located in the constellation of the same name, from which it got 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 the red star. It can be found by exploring the constellation that has the name golden fish, which is located in a galaxy called the Large Magellanic Cloud. Our solar system is about 163,000 light-years away. Its radius is 1730 times greater than that of the Sun. According to research, the star will cease to exist, becoming a supernova. However, this will happen no earlier than in 10-20 thousand years. Although during this time a lot of things can change.

RW Cephei

This giant star It is red in color and is located at a distance of more than 2700 light years from Earth. Its radius along the equator is 1636 times greater than the radius of the Sun.

NML Cygnus

The star acquired its name based on the name of the constellation, where it was discovered by astronomers. Its radius exceeds the solar one by 1650 times. A distance of 5300 light years separates us from NML Cygnus. Exploring the structure of the planet, scientists found sulfur oxide, hydrogen sulfide and other substances in it.

UY Shield

Scientists agreed that UY Shield is the largest in the entire universe. The record holder is located in the constellation with the same name at a distance of approximately 9.5 thousand light years from us. The star is very bright, but this is prevented by a huge amount of dust and gas around the planet.