Which is the Heaviest Star in the Universe?

As of the latest updates in 2023, the heaviest known star is LBV 1806-20, a massive Wolf-Rayet star located in the Milky Way. Estimates suggest it has a mass around 150 to 200 solar masses, where one solar mass is the mass of our Sun. However, mass estimates for stars can vary significantly based on the methods used to determine them, and ongoing research may lead to new discoveries or revisions of existing estimates.

Other contenders for the title of the heaviest star include stars in the R136 cluster in the Large Magellanic Cloud, such as R136a1. R136a1 has been estimated to have a mass of about 215 solar masses. The search for the heaviest stars is ongoing, and new discoveries could potentially change our understanding of stellar masses in the universe.

UY Scuti: The Largest Known Star

UY Scuti, a red supergiant star, is currently considered the largest star we have discovered. It has a diameter estimated to be around 1700 times larger than our Sun! To put that in perspective, if the Sun were the size of a marble, UY Scuti would be roughly the size of a 10-story building. UY Scuti's volume is so vast that it could fit nearly 5 billion Suns inside it. Its luminosity is about 340,000 times brighter than our Sun.

However, it is important to note that determining the exact size of such massive stars is quite challenging due to their diffuse edges and variability in brightness. So while UY Scuti is currently considered the largest, there is always a possibility that an even bigger one might be lurking out there in the vastness of space, waiting to be discovered!

Other Contenders for Largest Stars

Here are some other contenders for the title of the largest stars:

VY Canis Majoris: This red hypergiant, located about 4900 light-years away, has an estimated diameter around 1420 times larger than the Sun. WOH G64: This hypergiant star system, located about 16,300 light-years away, consists of two stars, both of which are thought to be significantly larger than our Sun.

Stephenson 2–18, the biggest star we have discovered to date, fits 8 billion suns or 13 quadrillion Earths. Its radius is ten times the average distance between the Earth and the Sun, surpassing the previous record holder, UY Scuti. However, its mass and other properties are still being confirmed and studied.