Stars · Red supergiant

KY Cygni

5,000 light-years · Light crosses it in 1.8 hours

Across

2.0 billion km

Vs Earth

13 AU across

Mass

25 Suns

Open KY Cygni in Cosmic Scale

In the app, KY Cygni is part of the Beyond pack.

About

KY Cygni is a red supergiant in Cygnus, one of the largest stars in the Milky Way. Dust along the line of sight dims it heavily, so it looks far less impressive than it is.

Hidden behind dust, it is a million times brighter than it appears.

At a glance

Distance	About 5,000 light-years
Radius	Around 1,400 Suns
Brightness	About 270,000 Suns
Type	Red supergiant

Did you know

1. Interstellar dust absorbs most of its visible light before it reaches us.
2. It varies irregularly in brightness as its outer layers pulse.
3. Placed at the Sun's position, its surface would reach roughly to Jupiter's orbit.