What is the biggest star in our universe?

Answer 1

Actually there are three stars about the same size that are the largest so far found in our universe --

KW Sagitarii
V354 Cephei
KY Cygni

Each has a radius about 1,500 times greater than our sun

Answer 2

In order to know what the largest star in the universe is we would have had to look at all the stars. We haven't come close to that - we haven't even looked at all the stars in our galaxy. There are about 100 billion stars in our galaxy, and about as many galaxies in the observable universe so you might understand why.

The best I can do is tell you what the largest known star is, but to do that I also need to know what you mean by largest. Do we pick the brightest, or the largest in volume, or the most massive (the one with the most mass)? More massive stars are generally less dense so take up a proportionally bigger volume. The most massive known is generally accepted to be the Pistol Star, which has a mass about 100-150 times that of the Sun, and is about 10 million times brighter. About 100 Suns would provide the same amount of stuff as the star, but we would need more that 100 Suns worth of volume to fill in the space it takes up.

Answer 3

The biggest stars are some of the red giants.
These stars are not the most massive.
They may be 20 solar mass or there about.
Because of the way massive stars form they can't exceed a mass of much more than 100 solar masses.
Before they can accumulate more mass the full blown star's solar winds blows the surrounding hydrogen field away limiting it's final mass.

Answer 4

VY Canis Majoris with a radii between 1800-2100 solar radii is the largest known star. This would extend to the orbit of Saturn, at least.

There are 2 conflicting opinions on the size of VY Canis Majoris, but the most recent estimate is the larger one, 1800-2100 solar radii. That was published in a paper in October 2006. abstract is cited below.

And to add/correct below, the Pistol Stars mass and power estimates were recently revised down. The luminosity is now thought to be 1.7 million times as much power as the sun.

Eta Carinae is thought to be the most massive now, with around the same mass as the Pistol Star, probably more, but a luminosity of around 4 million times the sun, making it by far the most luminous, but there is debate as to which is really the most massive star...link is below too

Answer 5

It is unknown. The Universe consists of everything. Since there are millions and millions of stars in our galaxy and millions of galaxies in the universe, it is impossible to tell.
We do know this...Our Sun is NOT the biggest star in our galaxy. Not even close. It's just one of many average sized stars in the center of a solar system.

Answer 6

The largest KNOWN star is VY Canis Majoris, with a diameter of 1800 to 2100 times the diameter of our Sun.

The most massive known star is either LBV 1806-20 (130-200 solar masses) or the Pistol Star (150 solar masses.)

Answer 7

The most massive known is generally accepted to be the Pistol Star, which has a mass about 100-150 times that of the Sun, and is about 10 million times brighter . About 100 Suns would provide the same amount of stuff as the star, but we would need more that 100 Suns worth of volume to fill in the space it takes up.

Answer 8

VY Canis Majoris (VY CMa) is a red hypergiant. This is the largest known star and one of the most luminous stars known.


Size comparison between the Sun and VY Canis Majoris. You must click this image twice for a full-view.Roberta M. Humphreys (2006) estimates the radius of VY CMa is between 1800 and 2100 solar radii. If our sun were replaced with such a star, its surface could extend to the orbit of Saturn.

There are two controversial opinions of the property of VY CMa. In one opinion (such as Roberta M. Humphreys' study [1]), the star is a very large and very luminous red hypergiant. In another opinion (such as Massey, Levesque, & Plez's study [2]), the star is a normal red supergiant, with a radius around 600 solar radii. In this case, its surface would extend well pass the orbit of Mars.

The distance from Earth to VY CMa is about 1.5 kiloparsecs (or 5,000 light-years).

Answer 9

There are billions and billions of stars in our universe, and approximately a hundred billion in our galaxy. Ours is small. Stars variety from a million/12 the mass of the solar to ~one hundred fifteen circumstances the mass of the solar. the main massive (as of June 2007) is in the link

Answer 10

sun is the largest star in our solar system but the most massive star in our universe is Pistol Star. Actually we still havent come close to mapping/cataloging out all the stars in our universe so for now Pistol Star is the "largest".