astronomy field of study What is the Biggest Star in the Universe?

In this short explainer video, Universe Today's publisher Fraser Cain researches what is the biggest star in the Universe, as well as the most massive star, and explores the limits that stars can reach.

Based on this article in Universe Today
http://www.universetoday.com/13507/wh...


--------------

My name is Fraser Cain, I'm the publisher of Universe Today.

My daughter is a question asking machine, and she hit me with this puzzler when she was just 6 years old:

What is the biggest star in the Universe?

My answer was that the Universe is a big place, and we can't possibly know what the biggest star is.

But that's not a real answer.

So I did some research to learn what is the biggest star is - that we know of - and just how big could a star get... theoretically.

Let's consider our own Sun for a sense of scale.

The Sun measures 700,000 km from the center to its surface.

This distance is known as a solar radius.

The mass of the Sun is two times ten to the power of thirty (pause) kilograms, and this is what we call "one solar mass".

We use a solar mass and a solar radius to give us relative terms to describe the size of other stars in our Universe.

This makes it much easier for us to wrap our heads around just how incomprehensibly gigantic these things are.

When we think of "big" stars, there are both massive stars, and large stars.

Astronomers theorized that the most massive star you could possibly have is 150 solar masses, or 150 times the mass of our Sun, and they would only have existed in the early Universe, when stars were made of pure hydrogen and helium and trace metals leftover from the Big Bang.

The most massive star we currently know of is R136-a1. This star is located in the large Magellanic Cloud's Tarantula Nebula, 165,000 light years from Earth.

Here's the best part... this star is more than 265 solar masses, breaking the original theoretical limit.

What's going on? Scientists believe it was likely created when several supermassive stars merged together.

They predict that R136a1 is soon nearing the end of its life. And when it does, it will become a hypernova, one of the most powerful explosions in the Universe, and collapse into a black hole.

Another massive star, located closer to Earth is Eta Carinae, only 7,500 light-years away.

The radius of Eta Carinae is about 250 times the size of the Sun, and it contains about 120 solar masses.

It produces a million times as much energy as the Sun and it's expected to explode as a supernova any day now.

But there are much much bigger stars out there - less massive, but bigger.

Betelguese in Orion, is a red supergiant star, nearing the end of its life. It has a radius of 950 to 1,200 times the size of the Sun.

If there was someway to magically summon Betelguese to the centre of our Solar System, all of the inner planets - as well as Jupiter - would be orbiting inside it.

There's some controversy, but the biggest known star is VY Canis Majoris, a monster located almost 3,900 light-years away.

Good thing it's so far away, because it's huge.

It measures 1,300 to 1,540 times wider than the Sun, and if it was located in the Solar System, it would engulf the orbit of Saturn.

We can't see and measure every star in the Universe, so what's the biggest possible star?

According to Roberta Humphreys from the University of Minnesota, the researcher who calculated the size of VY Canis Majoris, the largest possible star is about 2,600 times the size of the Sun.

Stars that big are out there, somewhere...

If you want more space news, subscribe to our channel, or visit our website at universetoday.com. Thanks for watching.

astronomy field of study What is the Biggest Star in the Universe?
773 Likes	773 Dislikes
162,514 views views	253K followers
Science & Technology	Upload TimePublished on 13 May 2013

Related keywords

stellar mass spectrum,blue giant star habitable zone,biggest stars of the 80s,space news in tamil,space news nasa,today show cast,fraser cain age,blue giant star on hr diagram,red dwarf season 13,the sunshine state,astronomy domine letra,astronomy news,blue supergiant lifespan,red dwarf lifespan,fraser cain credentials,today show recipes,astronomy tools,eta carinae star system,biggest star in the universe name,today show deals,universe today podcast,universe 25,stars simply red,universe today newsletter,today's holiday,universe today,today was a good day,vy canis majoris supernova,space jam 2 cast,universe today venus,biggest startups,todays date,biggest star in the universe,mars attacks,biggest stars of the 90s,fraser cain wiki,the sun king,marsha p johnson,astronomy letra,space news moon,universe quotes,fraser cain wikipedia,today at apple,supernova definition,massive star evolution,vy canis majoris size,vy canis majoris vs sun,universe today pluto,red giant star description,blue supergiant radius,red dwarf cured,nasa shirt,vy canis majoris age,stars royale,blue supergiant in cygnus,betelgeuse constellation,nasal decongestant,biggest stars from the voice,solar system model,today is,solar system map,nasal cavity,solar system coloring pages,stars born in 1969,universe meaning,r136a1 luminosity,betelgeuse voice actor,massive star cycle,todays stock market,earth science regents,red giant star size,massive star to red supergiant,blue supergiant compared to sun,universe of obligation,fraser cain bio,fraser cains actor,starscream,eta carinae explosion,fraser cain book,betelgeuse star,universe tickets,marshmello,universe today jupiter,blue supergiant crossword clue,earthlink webmail,biggest star in the universe compared to earth,massive stars life cycle,nasa florida,biggest star in the universe youtube,supernova gundam,red giant star in cetus,nasa lyrics,red dwarf series,betelgeuse star pronunciation,red dwarf movie,universe today fraser cain,biggest starbucks in seattle,betelgeuse meaning,space news mars,r136a1 life cycle,space mountain,solar massalfassar,supernova theory,biggest stars in the milky way,solar system scope,supernova webtoon,blue supergiant vs red supergiant,blue supergiant life cycle,biggest stars of the 70s,universe today book,supernova movie,astronomy metallica,biggest star wars ship,today's temperature,universe definition,red giant star temperature,biggest star in the sky,today is national,astronomy picture of the day,betelgeuse movie,solar system bracelet,eta carinae size,fraser cain wife,massive starvation takes place due to,universe today news,nasal congestion,universe today mars,biggest star in the universe vs sun,blue supergiant temperature,starsector,universe today neptune,nasa news,fraser cain podcast,space jam,stellar massage hoover,stellar masses are measured directly by observations of the motions of,biggest stars from american idol,red giant star vs sun,universe age,stars hollow,biggest star in the universe wiki,eta carinae meaning,universe today years of the planets,blue giant star in space,massive star size,betelgeuse beetlejuice,stellar mass horse,marshall plan,biggest star compared to the sun,biggest stars in our galaxy,supernova chapter 60,eta carinae translation,biggest star ever,astronomy domine lyrics,r136a1 black hole,bazelgeuse mhw,r136a1 radius,astronomy domine tab,space news india,blue giant star rigel,supernova meaning,biggest star in the universe video,red giant star characteristics,supernova toomics,starstruck,universe today mercury,r136a1 in our solar system,r136a1 temperature,= 1.9891e30 kilograms,marshall store,solar system song,space news articles,stellar massage hoover al,red giant stars list,betelgeuse bloodstained,eta carinae temperature,biggest stars on youtube,solar system drawing,eta carinae is an extreme example of,earthquake now,biggest stars in the galaxy,vy canis majoris location,biggest star in the universe comparison,nasa hoodie,betelgeuse vs sun,space news in hindi,r136a1 lifetime,space jam 2,vy canis majoris explosion,red dwarf characters,astronomy reddit,universe sandbox,red dwarf cast,biggest stars in the world,astronomy software,nasa jobs,biggest stars in the universe,universe tattoo,r136a1 compared to uy scuti,fraser cain patreon,fraser cain biography,beetlejuice 2,universe of stories,earthquake near me,biggest star in the milky way,fraser cain youtube,solar system watch,stars vs las fuerzas del mal,space newsletter,starshelper,red dwarf the beginning,supernova heavyarms,biggest star in the universe nasa,eta carinae facts,blue giant star life cycle,massive star meaning,nasa space center,blue giant stars list,the sun does shine,stellar mass function,spacex stock,space news websites,astronomy for dummies pdf,marshall beach,nasacort,supernova song,eta carinae supernova,universe today saturn,the sun is also a star book,the sun is also a star trailer,vy canis majoris constellation,nasa astronaut anne mcclain,biggest starbucks in canada,universe today twitter,biggest star wars lego set,space needle,space news podcast,betelgeuse romanee-conti desu,blue supergiants stars,massive star supernova,massive star wars lego sets,stellar mass luminosity relation,vy canis majoris radius,massive star color,red dwarf episode list,today show food,eta carinae color,starship,astronomy domine chords,fraser cain newsletter,biggest star in our galaxy,fraser cain twitter,universe today uranus,stellar massage,biggest star in the universe vy canis majoris,vy canis majoris facts,astronomy lyrics,supernova sandrock,vy canis majoris wiki,universe background,massive star crossword clue,r136a1 gravity,earthquake california,red dwarf kryten,astronomy and astrophysics,nasal vestibulitis,marshmallow,biggest starfish,universe today logo,biggest stars comparison,space center houston,stellar massage llc hoover al,eartha kitt,solar system for kids,the sundays,today's news,blue supergiant rigel,biggest starship,universe today app,today in history,red dwarf quotes,eta carinae nebula,fraser cain net worth,today show hosts,vy canis majoris hypernova,betelgeuse re zero,vy canis majoris adalah,stellar mass radius relation,space news daily,biggest star in the universe 2018 nasa,marshall ca,astronomy names,earth signs,starset,blue giant star vs red giant,the sun is also a star cast,starship troopers,eta carinae history,r136a1 death,biggest stars in mls,https://www.thesun.co.uk/,eta carinae star,universe today patreon,red giant stardust,betelgeuse supernova,biggest starbucks in toronto,nasal polyps,nasa fcu,vy canis majoris uy scuti,universe sandbox free,biggest stars in hollywood,red dwarf meaning,universe today big bang theory,red dwarf ship,space news app,supernova marvel,earth lyrics,starships letra,red dwarf star,vy canis majoris size compared to sun,stellar mass definition,supernova deathscythe hell,earth lil dicky,biggest starbucks,marshalls san jose,supernova star,vy canis majoris compared to earth,today show live,starship troopers 3,starship troopers 2,the sun is also a star movie,blue supergiant habitable zone,red giant star in hindi,fraser cain education,fraser cain email,blue giant star diameter,earth wind and fire,supernova facts,stellar mass black hole vs supermassive black hole,space crime,marshawn lynch,blue giant star lifetime,spacex,universe synonym,earth shoes,space news now,blue giant star facts,earth fare,biggest stars in space,vy canis majoris temperature,red giant star definition,marsai martin,red giant star diameter,stellar mass limit,earthquake bay area,earthquake today,solar system definition,the sun vanished,r136a1 elite dangerous,the sun tarot card,biggest star in the universe compared to our sun,r136a1 vs sun,r136a1 diameter,stars wars 9,biggest stars of all time,stars wars 8,blue giant star compared to sun,todays weather,massive stars in the universe,nasa houston,the sun magazine,space news 2019,stellar masses can be determined by observing,stellar massage sunnyvale,betelgeuse sound,red giant star death,blue giant star composition,blue supergiant mass,biggest star in the universe size,biggest starbucks in japan,biggest star in the universe uy scuti,blue giant star example,supernova explosion,massive star death,the sun and her flowers,space coast credit union,blue giant star size,solar system diagram,massive starfish,stellar mass distribution,earthgang,biggest star in the universe compared to sun,astronomy metallica lyrics,space cowboys,massive stars explode when they quizlet,space news asteroid,biggest star in the universe discovered,solar massamagrell,massive starbucks,earthlink,massive star example,nasal spray,blue giant star core temperature,starsailor,blue supergiant supernova,marsupial,astronomy books,space news reddit,blue supergiant hr diagram,red dwarf cat,astronomy domine,massive stars,massive star formation,marshall islands,stellar mass to light ratio,vy canis majoris elite dangerous,solar system tattoo,biggest stars of 2018,eta carinae supernova date,massive star lifetime,supernova one piece,biggest star in the universe quora,fraser cain death threats,space race,solar mass latex,marshall faulk,the sun tarot,betelgeuse battle cats,space news uk,the sun chronicle,http://spacenews.com,spaceballs,mars bar,r136a1 facts,supernova nucleosynthesis,vy canis majoris diameter,the sun also rises,fraser cains grange hill,eta carinae time lapse,nasa astronauts,eta carinae gif,solar system mobile,starsky,solar system to scale,eta carinae images,earthquake los angeles,stellar mass of milky way,universe wallpaper,r136a1 age,space force,red giant starglow,betelgeuse size,solar massanassa,r136a1 habitable zone,stellar mass loss,solar system facts,nasa amazon fire,supernova lyrics,space movies,marshalls,universe towing,solar system planets,vy canis majoris vs uy scuti,nasa logo,eta carinae hubble,solar system names,space invaders,solar system stony brook,blue giant stars near earth,universe appliance,red dwarfs,biggest starbucks size,betelgeuse star meaning,marsala wine,universe today earth,space news australia,biggest startups in toronto,blue giant star temperature,blue supergiant luminosity,vy canis majoris vs earth,red dwarf aa advert,eta carinae nasa,universe pictures,the sun is also a star showtimes,blue giant star age,today's hits,earthquake,marsha edwards,solar system order,space station,spacex launch,blue giant star characteristics,supernova altron,beetlejuice cast,blue supergiant facts,red giant stars are quizlet,stellar mass black hole,space news magazine,marshmello face,biggest stars compared to sun,red dwarf imdb,blue supergiant names,red dwarf star definition,red giant star lifespan,blue supergiant size,solar system project,space shuttle,space camp,todaytix,astronomy linux,biggest star in the world,fraser cain astronomy,red dwarf season 8,blue supergiant star life cycle,today's weather forecast,astronomy wallpaper,eta carinae great eruption,biggest starship in sci-fi,red giant star name,earthbound,blue supergiant star temperature,red giant star belongs to which constellation,biggest star in the universe 2019,betelgeuse demon,the sunken place,biggest star in the universe 2017,the sun is also a star,the sun is also a star review,biggest star in the universe 2018,biggest star in the universe 2015,universe dota,red giant star sun,red giant star formation,marseille,red giant star facts,stars wars,universe toyota,earthworm sally,