Stars · Red supergiant
Stephenson 2-18
19,000 light-years · Light crosses it in 2.8 hours
- Across
- 3.0 billion km
- Vs Earth
- 20 AU across
Open Stephenson 2-18 in Cosmic Scale
About
Stephenson 2-18 is a red supergiant near the star cluster Stephenson 2, and one of the largest stars ever proposed. Whether it truly belongs to that cluster is debated — and the answer changes its distance, and so its size.
One of the largest stars known — about 10 billion Suns could fit inside.
At a glance
| Distance | About 19,000 light-years |
|---|---|
| Surface | 3,200 K |
| Radius | Around 2,150 Suns |
| Type | Red supergiant |
Did you know
- If the size is right, about 10 billion Suns would fit inside it.
- Light would take nearly nine hours to travel around its circumference.
- It lies deep in the galactic plane, so its light reaches us dimmed and reddened by dust.