Explore the Largest Star in the Universe – Bigger than the Sun’s Radius!
The universe is home to countless stars, ranging in size from as small as Saturn to colossal giants capable of containing multiple Suns. Many stars remain undiscovered, while others possess enigmatic qualities that even scientists struggle to comprehend. Exploring the mysteries of space can be both fascinating and unsettling. However, when it comes to the smallest and largest stars in the universe, one particular star named UY Scuti is truly awe-inspiring. This hypergiant star holds the title for being the largest in our universe, with a radius 1,700 times greater than that of our Sun. This fact is undeniably astonishing.
Let’s learn more about UY Scut so we know its size and its place in the universe.
About UY Scut
According to the Nine Planets report. UY Scuti is known to be the largest star in the Universe with an estimated radius of 1.188 billion kilometers, which is 1700 times the size of the Sun. This star is known as a red hypergiant due to its enormous mass and luminosity. In addition, the temperature of UY Scuti is estimated to be about 3,365 K.
According to a Space.com report. the star is located near the center of the Milky Way and is 9500 light years from Earth. UY Scuti is located in the constellation Scutum. Such stars are called hypergiants because they are larger than giants and supergiants, and they are very bright compared to other giants.
UY Scuti was first cataloged by German astronomers at the Bonn Observatory in 1860. At that time it was named BD -12 5055.
Scientists believe that this star grows bright and dim at the same time over the course of 740 days. It also loses mass due to fast-moving stellar winds.
“The complexity of stars is that they have jagged edges. Most stars don’t have a rigid surface where the gas ends and the vacuum begins, which would have served as a harsh dividing line and an easy marker for the end of the star.” astronomer Jillian Scudder of the University of Sussex wrote for The Conversation.
