VY Canis Majoris
Red hypergiant · VY Canis Majoris
One of the largest known stars by radius
An extreme red hypergiant in Canis Major, so vast that if placed at the Sun's position it would engulf the orbits of the inner planets and reach toward Saturn. It is shedding mass dramatically and is expected to end as a supernova or collapse directly to a black hole.
Illustration generated from temperature, not a photograph
17.0 ☉
mass (the Sun = 1)
269,774 ×
as bright as the Sun
3,490 K
surface · red
1,420 R☉
radius (the Sun = 1)
3,820 ly
from Earth
8.0
apparent magnitude
Binoculars needed50 mm binoculars · apparent magnitude 8.0
It pours out about 269,774 times the Sun’s light. Its light has been travelling 3,820 years to reach us, so you see VY Canis Majoris as it was 3,820 years ago.
Source · Wikidata
It lives in
Milky Way
Barred spiral galaxy.
Other notable stars in the Milky Way
Eta CarinaeLuminous blue variableAlnilamBlue supergiantAlnitakHot blue supergiantDenebBlue-white supergiantMintakaHot blue giant multiple starAntaresRed supergiant
Stars of similar brightness
AlnilamBlue supergiant271,019 ×WOH G64Red hypergiant281,838 ×AlnitakHot blue supergiant250,035 ×DenebBlue-white supergiant195,884 ×MintakaHot blue giant multiple star190,108 ×Sanduleak -69° 202Blue supergiant (B3 Ia)100,000 ×
Worlds in the same direction on the sky→