12: The Galaxy’s Red Hypergiant

Activity 1. Read the fact below

Located within the constellation of Canis Major in the Milky Way, the largest star recorded by man is estimated to have a radius at least 1,800 times that of the sun’s. The red supergiant star is also classified by NASA as a “hypergiant” due to its massive size and extremely high luminosity emitted at accelerated speeds. The star has been recorded to have had many outbursts over the past thousand years as it nears the end of its life. Unlike the sun and similar stars that keep on burning up to ten billion years, hypergiants such as the VY Canis Majoris only last for a few million years. Before, it was believed that Canis Majoris featured a multiple star system until scientists realized that the discrete components were actually bright areas of its surrounding nebula.

Activity 2. Answer the questions below

• What is the largest star known to man?
• Where is the red hypergiant located?
• How huge is the VY Canis Majoris?
• What is the lifespan of hypergiants?
• Does it contain multiple-burning stars?