Stars · Red hypergiant
RW Cephei
About 11,000 light-years · Light crosses it in 85 minutes
- Across
- 1.5 billion km
- Vs Earth
- 10 AU across
Open RW Cephei in Cosmic Scale
About
RW Cephei is a red hypergiant, one of the largest stars known. In 2022 it faded to half its usual brightness when it threw off a cloud of dust, much like Betelgeuse's Great Dimming.
In 2022 it dimmed dramatically behind its own dust, as Betelgeuse did.
At a glance
| Distance | About 11,000 light-years |
|---|---|
| Radius | Around 1,100 Suns |
| Great dimming | 2022 |
| Type | Red hypergiant |
Did you know
- Placed where the Sun is, it would reach almost to the orbit of Jupiter.
- Images from the CHARA array showed its surface patchy with dust during the dimming.
- It is visible in small telescopes in the constellation Cepheus.