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The biggest star in the Milky Way galaxy

Among all the observed celestial bodies enoughit's hard to establish which is the biggest star in our galaxy. This is associated with huge distances in space and the complexity of observations, followed by analysis of the data. Today, scientists have been able to detect and register about 50 billion luminaries. More advanced technology allows you to explore the remote nooks of space and get new information about objects.

Evaluation and search for supergiants in space

Modern astrophysics in the research processspace is constantly faced with a lot of questions. The reason for this is the gigantic size of the visible universe, about fourteen billion light years. Sometimes, watching the star, it is difficult to estimate the distance to it. Therefore, before you go in search of the definition of which is the largest star in our galaxy, you need to understand the level of complexity of observing space objects.

Earlier, before the beginning of the twentieth century, it was believed thatour galaxy is one. Visible other galaxies were classified as nebulae. But Edwin Hubble struck a crushing blow to the ideas of the scientific world. He argued that there are a lot of galaxies, and ours is not the largest.

The cosmos is incredibly huge

Distances to nearby galaxies are huge. Reach hundreds of millions of years. For astrophysicists, it is quite problematic to determine which is the largest star in our galaxy.

what is the biggest star in our galaxy
Therefore, about other galaxies with trillions of stars,at a distance of one hundred or more million light years, it is even more difficult to speak. In the process of research, new objects are opened. Discovered stars are compared and identified the most unique and large.

Supergiant in the constellation Shield

The name of the largest star in our galaxy is UY Shield, a red supergiant. This is a variable star whose size varies from 1,700 to 2,000 times the diameter of the sun.

 the name of the biggest star in our galaxy

Our brain is not able to imagine suchquantities. Therefore, to fully understand what size is the largest star in the galaxy, it is necessary to compare with the values ​​that are understandable to us. For comparison, our solar system is suitable. The size of the star is so large that if it is placed on the site of our Sun, then the boundary of the supergiant will be in the orbit of Saturn.

the biggest star in the galaxy is the milky way

And our planet and Mars will be inside the star. The distance to this "monster" of space is about 9,600 light years.

The biggest star in the Milky Way galaxy -UY Shield - can conditionally only be considered a “king”. The reasons are obvious. One of them is the enormous cosmic distances and cosmic dust, which complicate obtaining accurate data. Another problem is directly related to the physical properties of supergiants. With a diameter of 1700 times larger than our heavenly body, the largest star in our galaxy is only 7-10 times as massive. It turns out that the density of the supergiant is millions of times less than the air around us. Its density is comparable to the atmosphere of the Earth at an altitude of about one hundred kilometers above sea level. Therefore, it is quite problematic to determine exactly where the boundaries of the star end and its “wind” begins.

Currently the biggest star in ourgalaxy resides at the end of its development cycle. It expanded (the same process will occur with our Sun at the end of evolution) and began actively burning helium and a number of other elements heavier than hydrogen. After a few million years, the largest star in the galaxy - UY Shield - will turn into a yellow supergiant. And in the future - in the bright blue variable, and possibly in the Wolf star - Raye.

the biggest star in the galaxy

Along with the "king" - the super-giant UY of the Shield - you can mark about ten stars with similar sizes. These include VY Big Dog, Cepheus A, NML Cygnus, WOH G64 VV and several others.

Известно, что все крупнейшие звёзды являются short-lived and very unstable. Such stars can exist for millions of years or several millennia, ending their life cycle as a supernova or black hole.

The biggest star in the galaxy: the search continues

Watching major changes in recenttwenty years, it is worthwhile to assume that over time our understanding of the possible parameters of supergiants will differ from those previously known. And it is quite possible that in the coming years another supergiant will be opened, with a larger mass or size. And new discoveries will push scientists to revise previously adopted dogmas and definitions.