Stars · Red hypergiant
VY Canis Majoris
3,900 light-years · Light crosses it in 1.8 hours
- Across
- 2.0 billion km
- Vs Earth
- 13 AU across
- Mass
- 17 Suns
Open VY Canis Majoris in Cosmic Scale
About
VY Canis Majoris is a red hypergiant losing mass at a spectacular rate, wrapped in a nebula of its own making. It is among the largest stars known and one of the most luminous in our galaxy.
Placed at the Sun's position, it would reach past Jupiter's orbit.
At a glance
| Distance | 3,900 light-years |
|---|---|
| Surface | 3,490 K |
| Radius | Around 1,400 Suns |
| Mass loss | ~30 Earth masses a year |
Did you know
- Placed at the Sun's position, its surface would extend past Jupiter's orbit.
- It is so unstable that it throws off arcs and knots of material, mapped in detail by Hubble.
- It is expected to collapse into a black hole rather than leave a neutron star.
Real photo
- VY Canis Majoris wrapped in the material it is shedding, Hubble — NASA / ESA and R. Humphreys (University of Minnesota) (CC BY 4.0) · source