Our sun is medium in size compared to other stars in the universe. There are numerous stars bigger than the sun and that they are located in other solar systems together with other planets that orbit around them.
In this article we are going to tell you which are the stars bigger than the sun, their characteristics and discovery.
stars bigger than the sun
The sun is characterized as the most important star in our solar system, and it is known to be so large that it can even hold some 1.300.000 Earths. While this is obviously surprising, what we can say is even more surprising that our sun is actually a small star compared to other stars.
Contrary to what many people think, there are some stars in the universe that are much larger than the sun and are so massive in size that if they were found in our solar system, they would even go beyond the orbit of Saturn. With this in mind, throughout this article we will discuss which stars are bigger than the Sun so that you can learn about them.
Our sun is about 1.400.000 kilometers in diameter, yet It is not the biggest star in the universe, but other stars are much bigger.
Aldebaran (61.000.000 km)
Aldebaran, a star belonging to the constellation Taurus, ranks as the thirteenth brightest star in the entire sky. Although it is about 60 times the size of our sun, the orange giant star actually doesn't have twice the mass of our star.
This may indicate that it went through various stages of life, forming carbon, nitrogen and oxygen, which is why it is currently at the expansion point, close to becoming a red giant, some 65 light-years from our planet. .
Rigel (97 km)
If Aldebaran is larger than the Sun, then Rigel stands out as being larger, a truly amazing size. It is a blue supergiant star about 860 light years away from our planet. Known as the brightest star in the Orion constellation, it is so massive that it would even extend as far as Mercury if it were located in our solar system. It is so long-lived that it is generally believed that it will die in a supernova explosion within a few million years.
Star Gun (425 km)
Taking another amazing leap, we can find the Gun Star, which it is considered a blue supergiant star, and if it's in our solar system, it can even reach the orbit of Mars, which means it will swallow the earth whole.
The star manages to emit the light of more than 10 million suns, making it one of the brightest stars in our entire galaxy. It is located almost 26.000 light years from Earth, not far from the center of the Milky Way.
Antares A (946.000.000 km)
Antares A is twice the size of the Gun Star and it is described as a red supergiant about 550 light-years from Earth.
One of its most surprising aspects, in addition to its size, is that it is believed to be about to explode, which could leave behind a neutron star (considered one of the densest objects in the universe).
Betelgeuse (1.300.000.000 km)
Betelgeuse is the true "monster" of our galaxy, it consists of a red supergiant star located 642 light-years away and the ninth brightest in the entire night sky.
It can even reach the orbit of Jupiter, putting it right in the center of our solar system. Due to its large size and low surface temperature, it is generally believed that it will explode as a supernova within a few thousand years, leaving a "footprint" in the sky that is even larger than the size of the moon.
Mu Cephei (1.753.000.000 km)
Located 6.000 light-years away, Mu Cephei consists of a red supergiant star so large that it would easily reach Saturn's orbit if it were located in the center of our solar system.
It belongs to the constellation of Cepheus and has a very intense red feature, which makes it recognizable through low-cost telescopes.
VY Canis Majoris (2.000.000.000 km)
Located about 3.840 light years from Earth, the red supergiant star is so massive that placing it at the center of our solar system would exceed the orbit of Saturn.
UY Scuti (2.400.000.000 km)
In the end, UY Scuti stands out as the largest star known so far in our galaxy. Located 9.500 light years away, is so large that trying to orbit its surface without interruption with an airplane traveling at about 900 km/h would take about 3.000 years. Its size is so large that atoms of various metals are formed in its nucleus, and it is believed that it can die in a supernova explosion, giving rise to the development of a black hole.
Stars larger than the Sun in the Universe
Pollux: 12.000.000 km
Pollux is a giant orange star in the constellation Gemini. Despite being number 10 on the list, we are already talking about a star almost ten times bigger than our sun. Also, it is the seventeenth brightest star that we can see in the sky. At 33,7 light-years from Earth, it is the closest star on this list.
Arthur: 36.000.000 km
We continue our journey exploring the Star of Arthur, also known as Arcturus. The third brightest star in the night sky is a red giant. After the previous one, is the closest: "only" 36,7 light-years away. It is so massive that helium and carbon fusion is thought to take place in its core. And all the chemical elements come from inside the stars. The heavier the element, the more energy is required. Our sun is so small that it can only reach the second element, helium.
As you can see, the universe is so big that our solar system is small. I hope that with this information you can learn more about the stars larger than the sun and their characteristics.