If the largest known star was placed in the center of our solar system, it would extend beyond the orbit of Saturn!
The largest star that we know about in the universe is called VY Canis Majoris, and it is a red hypergiant about 4,900 light-years away from Earth.
The star is about 3.0 billion kilometers in diameter, and if placed in the center of our Solar System, VY Canis Majoris’s surface would extend passed the orbit of Saturn!
VY Canis Majoris was first recorded by Jerome Lalande in 1801, and was originally thought to consist of multiple stars. However, as observation technology improved, scientists were able to determine in 1957 that it was in fact one star without a companion.
Professor Roberta Humphreys was able to establish that the star was so large it would take more than 8.5 hours for light to travel around the star; compared to the 14.5 seconds it would take to travel around our Sun!
