The Largest Star in the Universe: UY Scuti and Other Massive Stellar Giants

In comparison, the main sequence radius of UY Scuti is estimated to be about 1.188 billion kilometers, which is about 1,700 times larger than the Sun. If placed in the middle of the Solar System, the size of the outermost visible edge of UY Scuti is even slightly larger than the orbit of Jupiter.

Some important facts about UY Scuti:

  • Diameter: 237.6 billion kilometers (147.6 billion miles); 1,708 times the diameter of the sun
  • Mass: About 7 to 10 times the mass of our Sun.
  • Luminosity: In fact, Sputnik is at least 10^5 times more luminous than the Sun, or 100,000 times.
  • Surface temperature: 3092°C (5598°F), 40% cooler than the surface of the Sun.
  • Age: Estimated to be about 10 to 20 million years younger than the Sun, which is about 4.6 billion years old.

UY Scuti has a large radius, almost the radius of the Earth’s orbit around the Sun, but it is not the largest star ever discovered. Its mass is about 7 to 10 times that of the Sun. It is in the extended stage of stellar evolution; it is expected to explode as a supernova within the next few million years.

Other massive stars

While UY Scuti is currently the largest star known, there are several other stars that rank among the most massive in the universe:

VY Canis Majoris: This is a red supergiant star with a diameter of 1.5 million kilometers, 1,500 times the size of the Sun, and is 5,000 parsecs from Earth.

WOH G64: A red hypergiant in the Large Magellanic Cloud, with a photosphere radius estimated at 1540 Rs, it can be considered a strong contender for the title of most massive star.

Stephenson 2-18: It was once thought to be the largest star known, but new observations may indicate that the star may be even larger than earlier estimates.

There are billions of stars known in the universe, most of which are much more massive than the Sun in our own solar system. UY Scuti is the current record holder, as more massive giant stars are likely to be discovered in the future.

The size of the Sun compared to the largest stars in the universe

As mentioned above, and as you will learn, the Sun is not the largest star in the Universe. In fact, compared to the many stars in the Universe, it is not a very large star. UY Scuti is a red supergiant star located 9,500 light-years away in the constellation Scutum, and is the largest star ever discovered. Based on its parameters, UY Scuti is estimated to be about 1,700 times larger than our Sun and could easily fit more than 5 billion Suns.

While the Sun is of vital importance to our solar system, it is one of the twelfth largest stars, though nowhere near the largest stars. Other stars considered to be the largest include VY Canis Majoris and WOH G64, which are also much more massive than the Sun.

Although UY Scuti is currently the largest star known, the universe is vast and there are countless more massive stars yet to be discovered. As we continue to explore, UY Scuti reminds us of the sheer size of the universe and the fascinating stars that populate our Milky Way and beyond.

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