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VY Canis Majoris
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VY Canis Majoris
Size comparison between the Sun and VY Canis Majoris
Observation data
Epoch J2000 Equinox J2000
Constellation
Canis Major
Right ascension
07h 22m 58.33s
Declination
-25° 46' 03.17?
Apparent magnitude (V)
6.5 to 9.6
7.9607
Characteristics
Spectral type
M3-M5e Ia
B-V color index
2.24
Variable type
Semiregular
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)
49 ± 10 km/s
Proper motion (µ)
RA: 9.84 mas/yr
Dec.: 0.75 mas/yr
Parallax (p)
1.78 ± 3.54 mas
Distance
~4,900 ly
(~1,500 pc)
Details
Mass
~30-40 M?
Radius
~1800-2,100 R?
Luminosity
~450,000 L?
Temperature
~3000 K
Other designations
VY Canis Majoris (VY CMa) is the largest known star and also one of the most luminous. It is a red hypergiant in the constellation Canis Major. It is 1800–2100 solar radii (8.4–9.8 astronomical units) in radius, about 3.0 billion km (1.9 billion mi) in diameter, and about 1.5 kiloparsecs (4,900 light-years) distant from Earth. Unlike most hypergiant stars, which occur in either binary or multiple star systems, VY CMa is a single star. It is categorized as a semiregular variable and has an estimated period of 2,000 days. It has an average density of 5 to 10 mg/m3.Placed at the center of our solar system, VY Canis Majoris's surface would extend beyond the orbit of Saturn, although some astrophysicists disagree about the star's stated radius, suggesting it is smaller: merely 600 times the radius of the Sun, which would extend past the orbit of Mars.
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