10: Rebels
Antares is a red supergiant located about 550 light-years away. According to estimates, the size of Antares is 832 times larger than the sun, making it one of the largest stars in our Galaxy. If you placed Antares where the sun is in our solar system, it would extend beyond the orbit of Mars and perhaps even reach Jupiter. Estimates of its luminosity vary, but it is at least 70,000 times brighter than the sun. By mass, Antares is 12 times more massive than the sun. When Antares finally dies, it will go supernova and form either a neutron star or a black hole.
9: Betelgeuse
One of the highest resolution images of the star Betelgeuse. NASA
Betelgeuse is one of the most popular stars in the Milky Way. In fact, it is one of the only stars other than our sun where astronomers have actually photographed the surface of the star. Betelgeuse is one of the largest stars in our galaxy with a diameter 887 times that of the sun. Betelgeuse is located about 640 light-years away in the constellation of Orion. Betelgeuse is currently in the final stages of its life and will likely explode in a supernova in the next 100,000 years.
8: KW Sagittarius
KW Saggittari is a large supergiant star located in the constellation Sagittarius about 6,200 light-years away. As one of the largest stars in our galaxy, it has a diameter of 1,009 times that of the sun. It is 200,000 times brighter than the sun.
7: VV Cephei A
VV Cephei A is a red supergiant star located in the constellation Cepheus about 5,000 light-years away. VV Cephei A is actually part of a binary star system, but its companion star is much smaller. VV Cephei A is about 1,050 times the size of the Sun, although some estimates place its size even higher.
6: Mu Cephei
Mu Cephei is one of the largest stars visible to the naked eye, at over 1,200 times the size of the sun. If placed in our solar system, it would extend beyond the orbit of Jupiter. Mu Cephei is almost 300,000 times brighter than the sun, making it one of the brightest red supergiant stars in our Galaxy.
5: KY Cygni
KY Cygni is a red supergiant star located in the constellation Cygnus about 5,000 light-years away. KY Cygni is 1,430 times larger than the sun and 273,000 times brighter. Despite its brightness, it is not visible to the naked eye. Interestingly, KY Cygni is hidden in a dense cloud of hydrogen that blocks most of the light it emits.
4: V354 Cephei
V354 Cephei is a red supergiant star located in the constellation Cepheus about 8,900 light-years away. With a size 1,520 times larger than the sun, it is among the largest stars in the Milky Way. It is also one of the brightest stars in the galaxy, with a luminosity over 400,000 times that of the sun.
3: RW Cephei
RW Cephei is a yellow supergiant star located in the constellation Cepheus about 3,500 light-years away. It has an estimated size of 1,530 times that of the sun, making it larger than the orbit of Jupiter.
2: VY Canis Majoris
VY Canis Majoris is one of the largest, most massive and most luminous stars ever observed in the universe. Larger than 1,500 suns in size, it has an estimated mass of 60 suns based on a luminosity that is 400,000 times brighter than the sun. VY Canis Majoris is a supergiant star in the constellation Canis Majoris about 3,900 light-years away. As a supergiant, VY Canis Majoris is relatively young, being less than ten million years old.
1: UY Scuti
Size comparison between UY Scuti and the sun
The largest known star in our galaxy and one of the largest stars ever discovered in the universe, UY Scuti is over 1,700 times the size of the sun. By volume, you could fit over 5 billion suns into UY Scuti, which shows just how gigantic this star really is. Despite its enormous size, UY Scuti is only ten times the mass of the Sun and 100,000 times brighter. UY Scuti is currently in the final stages of its life and is as large as it is because the star has expanded as it nears the end of its life. Given its mass, UY Scuti will explode in a supernova, leaving behind either a neutron star or a black hole.
