Stars · Red supergiant
Westerlund 1-26
About 12,700 light-years · Light crosses it in 1.5 hours
- Across
- 1.7 billion km
- Vs Earth
- 11 AU across
Open Westerlund 1-26 in Cosmic Scale
About
Westerlund 1-26 is a red supergiant in Westerlund 1, the most massive young star cluster in the Milky Way. Dust hides the cluster from ordinary telescopes, but in infrared it is a swarm of giant stars.
Lives in Westerlund 1, the most massive young star cluster in the Milky Way.
At a glance
| Distance | About 12,700 light-years |
|---|---|
| Radius | Around 1,200 Suns |
| Cluster | Westerlund 1 |
| Type | Red supergiant |
Did you know
- It is surrounded by a glowing cloud of gas lit by the hot stars around it.
- Earlier estimates made it over 1,500 Suns wide; newer ones are smaller.
- Westerlund 1 may hold more than 100,000 times the Sun's mass in stars.