Did You Know?..... Largest Known Star....

[ToraToraTora]

The Largest know Star is UY Scuti, it has a diameter of 1.19Billion KM. It is 5219 light years away. If it were placed where our sun now is, it's surface would reach beyond Jupiter. Here is a scale comparison: https://www.zmescience.com/mrf4u/statics/i/ps/cdn.zmescience.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/UYScuti.png?width=1200&enable=upscale

[davebro]

is it still there?

[ToraToraTora]

good question, these large stars are short lived and at 5219 light years away it may well have Supernova'd already.

[Gromit]

I did know. But I only can across the info a couple of days ago. Coincidence that.

[ToraToraTora]

a few years back it was Canis Major (big dog) I modest 987million KM in diamter!

[Stickybottle]

I saw this the other day

Mind blown

[LadyCG]

It's mind blowing to realise how insignificant we are in the grand scheme of things.

[douglas9401]

Wow, etc.

Already looking forward to the next page tomorrow.

[tiggerblue10]

Yes, I did know about UY Scuti. I love stuff like this.

Without looking it up, does anyone know the name of the nearest star to Earth apart from the sun?

[Atheist]

Proxima Centauri?

[Mozz71]

//Without looking it up, does anyone know the name of the nearest star to Earth apart from the sun?//

The name of the star I can't remember, but I'm sure I recall it's in the constellation Andromeda.

[royfromaus]

Amazing, my flabber is ghasted.

Please do one on animals...I like facts about animals.

[tiggerblue10]

Yes Atheist, Proxima Centauri.

For some time I thought it was Alpha Centauri but read up on it a while ago.

[Atheist]

I think Proxima means close (i.e. in proximity).

[Canary42]

/// It is 5219 light years away. ///

Somehow, I find that quite comforting :-)

[ToraToraTora]

Roy 13:34, tomorrow I'll do one on animals...

[ToraToraTora]

The closest stars are Centauri system, a triple star system with Alpha and Beta a binary within that. Proxima Centauri is a small red Dwarf approx 1/8th of the mass of our sun and that is technically the closest though that can change as their relative positions to each other change.

[ToraToraTora]

PS Mozz the constellation is, not surprisingly, Centaurus.