UY Scuti
Telescope Nerd » Celestial Objects » UY Scuti: Definition, Size, Supernova

UY Scuti: Definition, Size, Supernova

UY Scuti is a red supergiant star in the constellation Scutum. It lies 9,500 light-years from Earth and has a radius 1,708-2,100 times that of the Sun. UY Scuti’s brightness fluctuates between magnitude 8.9 and 10.5, classifying it as a pulsating variable star. The star has a cool surface temperature of 3,300 Kelvin, giving it a distinctive red appearance.

UY Scuti is not definitively the biggest star in the universe. VY Canis Majoris has a larger radius of 2,100 times the Sun’s. Stephenson 2-18 and RW Cephei are other contenders for the title of largest known star. Ongoing research and improved observational techniques will likely refine our understanding of these cosmic giants.

UY Scuti is located approximately 9,500 light-years away from Earth. The star resides roughly 2.9 kiloparsecs from our planet, about one-third of the way towards the galactic center. UY Scuti’s distance converts to approximately 29,805,571,222,100,612 miles or 320,632,281.818 astronomical units.

UY Scuti will explode as a supernova in a few billion years. The exact timing depends on its estimated mass range of 7-10 solar masses. UY Scuti’s supernova light will take approximately 9,500 years to reach Earth after the explosion. The supernova will be visible from Earth even during daylight hours.

UY Scuti was discovered in 1860 by German astronomers at Bonn Observatory. Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve and Heinrich d’Arrest used a refracting telescope to observe and document the star. UY Scuti was initially cataloged as “BD-12 5055” in the Bonner Durchmusterung star catalog. The discovery was part of a comprehensive sky survey project.


What is UY Scuti?

UY Scuti is a red supergiant star in the constellation Scutum, 9,500 light-years from Earth. Pulsating variable star changes brightness from magnitude 8.9 to 10.5. Massive star has radius 1,708-2,100 times Sun’s. Cool temperature of 3,300 Kelvin gives red appearance. Nearing life’s end, expected to explode as supernova.

UY Scuti diameter is estimated to be between 1.5 and 2.4 billion kilometers. Its mass ranges from 7 to 10 solar masses. UY Scuti’s volume is approximately 5 billion times larger than the Sun. The star’s surface would extend beyond Jupiter’s orbit if placed at the center of our solar system. UY Scuti dwarfs Earth in comparison, with a radius over 1,700 times greater than our home star.

UY Scuti is classified as a red hypergiant star. It resides in the constellation Scutum, which means “shield” in Latin. The star’s red color is a result of its relatively cool surface temperature. UY Scuti’s variable nature causes its brightness to change over time. Astronomers consider UY Scuti one of the largest known stars in the universe based on its immense size and radius.


Is UY Scuti the biggest size star in the universe?

UY Scuti is not definitively the biggest star in the universe. UY Scuti’s estimated radius is 1,708 ± 192 times the Sun’s. VY Canis Majoris has a larger radius of 2,100 times the Sun’s. UY Scuti remains one of the largest known stars. Larger undiscovered stars potentially exist.

UY Scuti has long been considered one of the largest known stars in the universe. UY Scuti’s diameter measures approximately 2.4 billion kilometers, dwarfing our Sun. UY Scuti’s radius extends to 1,708 ± 192 solar radii, making it roughly 1,700 times larger than our Sun. UY Scuti’s surface would engulf the orbits of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, and Jupiter if placed at the center of our solar system.

UY Scuti’s enormous size has been challenged by other celestial giants. VY Canis Majoris, a red hypergiant in the constellation Canis Major, boasts a radius around 2,100 times that of our Sun. Stephenson 2-18, another contender, has been observed to potentially surpass UY Scuti in size. RW Cephei competes for the title of largest known star, with estimates placing it in a similar size range.


How big is UY Scuti compared to Sun?

UY Scuti’s radius measures 1,708 times the Sun’s, spanning 1,420,000,000 kilometers. UY Scuti’s volume is 5 billion times larger than the Sun’s. UY Scuti’s mass exceeds the Sun’s by 30-40 times.

UY Scuti dwarfs our Sun in size. UY Scuti radius is 1,700 times larger than the Sun’s. UY Scuti measures 2.4 billion kilometers in diameter, while the Sun’s diameter is only 1.393 million kilometers.

About 5 billion Suns could fit inside UY Scuti’s volume. UY Scuti has 7 to 10 times the mass of the Sun, making it a giant among stars.

UY Scuti star is 340,000 times more luminous than our Sun. UY Scuti shines over 300,000 times brighter than the Sun, dominating its stellar neighborhood.


How big is UY Scuti compared to Earth?

UY Scuti dwarfs Earth in size. Estimates suggest UY Scuti’s volume encompasses 7 quadrillion Earths. UY Scuti measures approximately 1.42 billion kilometers in diameter. UY Scuti’s radius ranges from 1,708 to 2,100 times Earth’s radius. UY Scuti’s circumference equals about 100 quadrillion Earths lined up side by side. UY Scuti ranks among the largest known stars.

Earth could fit 7 quadrillion times inside UY Scuti’s volume. UY Scuti could hold the volume of 6 quadrillion 489 trillion Earths within its boundaries. UY Scuti has an enormous size that challenges human comprehension. UY Scuti’s volume contains enough space for trillions of Earth-sized objects.

UY Scuti’s surface would reach beyond Saturn’s orbit if placed at the center of our solar system. UY Scuti’s size comparison to Earth resembles comparing a grain of sand to a massive mountain range. Scientists estimate that a spacecraft would take over 1,500 years to circumnavigate UY Scuti at light speed.


How big is UY Scuti compared to our Solar system?

UY Scuti dwarfs our Solar system. Its radius is 1,708 times larger than the sun’s, measuring 1.42 billion kilometers. UY Scuti would engulf Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and extend beyond Saturn’s orbit if placed at our Solar system’s center. Its volume equals 2.5 billion suns.

UY Scuti’s immense size becomes even more apparent when placed in the context of our solar system. If UY Scuti were positioned at the center of our solar system, its photosphere would extend beyond Jupiter’s orbit of 778.3 million kilometers. The star’s enormous radius would engulf all planets up to Saturn, which orbits at an average distance of 1.43 billion kilometers from the Sun. UY Scuti’s volume is approximately 5 billion times larger than the Sun’s volume, easily accommodating all the planets in our solar system within its boundaries.


How big is UY Scuti compared to Stephenson 2-18?

UY Scuti is smaller than Stephenson 2-18. UY Scuti has a radius approximately 1,700 times greater than the Sun’s, measuring around 1.18 billion kilometers. Stephenson 2-18 has a radius about 2,150 times greater than the Sun’s, extending to approximately 1.46 billion kilometers.

Stephenson 2-18 is larger than UY Scuti by a significant margin. Stephenson 2-18’s surface would extend beyond the orbit of Uranus if placed at the center of our solar system. UY Scuti’s surface would only reach past the orbit of Saturn in the same scenario.

Stephenson 2-18 took the title of largest known star from previous record holders like UY Scuti. UY Scuti was considered one of the largest known stars for a time. UY Scuti is now dwarfed by the massive size of Stephenson 2-18, being smaller by about 25%. Stephenson 2-18’s enormous size has solidified its position as the current record holder for the largest known star.


How far is UY Scuti from Earth?

UY Scuti, a massive star near the center of the Milky Way, is located approximately 9,500 light-years away from Earth. UY Scuti resides roughly 2.9 kiloparsecs from our planet. UY Scuti’s position is about one-third of the way towards the galactic center from Earth.

UY Scuti’s distance converts to approximately 29,805,571,222,100,612 miles for perspective. Astronomers express UY Scuti’s distance as about 320,632,281.818 astronomical units. Earlier estimates erroneously suggested UY Scuti was 5.219 light-years away, but this figure is now considered incorrect. UY Scuti holds the title of one of the largest known stars, with a radius 1,708 to 2,100 times larger than the Sun. UY Scuti has a mass 20-40 times greater than the Sun. UY Scuti’s immense distance makes it appear dim from Earth despite its enormous size. UY Scuti’s surface would extend beyond Saturn’s orbit if placed at the solar system’s center.


Can you see UY Scuti from Earth with a telescope?

UY Scuti is visible through large telescopes (200-250 mm aperture) under excellent viewing conditions. Scutum constellation’s southern border hosts this dim star (magnitude 8.9-9.1). Southern Hemisphere observers have better access. UY Scuti appears as a faint point of light at 9,500 light-years distance. Viewing remains challenging for amateur astronomers.

UY Scuti resides in the southern border of the Scutum constellation. Observers in the Southern Hemisphere have a better vantage point for viewing UY Scuti. The star’s location makes it challenging to spot from far northern latitudes.

UY Scuti appears as a faint point of light through telescopes. Its visual magnitude ranges from 8.9 to 9.1, making it invisible to the naked eye. UY Scuti’s brightness varies due to its pulsating nature.

UY Scuti’s extreme distance of 9,500 light-years poses significant challenges for observation. Amateur astronomers find it difficult to locate UY Scuti due to its dim appearance. Clear, moonless nights away from light pollution offer the best chances for viewing UY Scuti.


When will UY Scuti go supernova?

UY Scuti will explode as a supernova in approximately 1-2 million years. Astronomers predict UY Scuti has about 1 million years left before reaching its life’s end. Some studies suggest it could explode within 100,000 years. UY Scuti’s massive 30-40 solar mass ensures its supernova fate.

UY Scuti’s supernova light will take approximately 9,500 years to reach Earth after the explosion. Some estimates suggest a shorter light travel time of about 3,900 years. The precise duration depends on UY Scuti’s exact distance and the properties of the interstellar medium. UY Scuti’s supernova will be an incredible spectacle, visible from Earth even during daylight hours. The explosion will disperse heavier elements forged in its interior into surrounding space, potentially contributing to the formation of new star systems over cosmic timescales.


Will UY Scuti supernova affect Earth?

UY Scuti’s supernova would not significantly affect Earth. Earth lies 9,500 light years away from UY Scuti. Supernova event would release huge energy into the universe. Distance ensures Earth’s safety without radiation damage or danger. Spectacular sight would likely occur in night sky. Earth inhabitants need not be concerned about UY Scuti’s potential explosion.

UY Scuti star classifies as a yellow hypergiant of spectral type K2.5Ib. The star has a radius between 1,708 and 2,100 times that of our Sun. UY Scuti has exhausted its hydrogen fuel and now fuses helium in its core. UY Scuti will eventually run out of fuel and go supernova. The star will collapse under its own gravity, resulting in a Type II supernova explosion.

UY Scuti distance ensures Earth’s safety from potential supernova dangers. A supernova would need to occur within 50 light-years of Earth to cause significant harm. UY Scuti locates nearly 200 times farther than this critical distance. Radiation and blast waves from the supernova will diminish substantially over the vast expanse of space.

UY Scuti supernova will likely appear as a faint, brief flash in Earth’s sky. Astronomers will gather valuable scientific data from this rare event. The supernova will provide crucial insights into stellar evolution and the universe’s workings. UY Scuti’s demise will offer a unique opportunity to study the life cycle of massive stars in real-time.


When was UY Scuti discovered?

German astronomers Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve and Heinrich d’Arrest discovered UY Scuti in 1860. Astronomers initially cataloged UY Scuti as “BD-12 5055” in the Bonner Durchmusterung star catalog. Researchers made the discovery using a refracting telescope at the Bonn Observatory, Germany. The discovery was part of the BD cataloging project.

The discovery of UY Scuti occurred within the constellation Scutum. Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius created Scutum in 1684, introducing it as a new constellation in his work “Firmamentum Sobiescianum”. UY Scuti’s location within Scutum was identified in subsequent observations and studies.

UY Scuti has a radius between 1,708 and 2,100 times that of our Sun. Its enormous size was not immediately recognized at the time of discovery. Advanced telescopes in the early 2000s revealed UY Scuti’s true dimensions, establishing it as one of the largest known stars in the universe.


Where is UY Scuti located?

UY Scuti lies 9,500 light years away from Earth in the constellation Scutum. The massive yellow hypergiant star resides near the center of the Milky Way galaxy, approximately 5,055 light years from the galactic core. UY Scuti is part of the Scutum-Centaurus Arm, positioned between Aquila and Sagittarius constellations.

Astronomers and stargazers can locate UY Scuti northeast of the Eagle Nebula (M16). The exact coordinates of UY Scuti are Right Ascension 18h 27m 36.53s and Declination -12° 27′ 58.9″. Observing UY Scuti presents challenges due to its immense distance and the limitations of human eyesight. Powerful telescopes are necessary to view this remarkable star effectively.

UY Scuti’s location holds particular significance due to its extraordinary size. The star’s radius is estimated to be around 1,708 times that of our Sun. UY Scuti’s surface would extend beyond Saturn’s orbit if placed at the center of our solar system. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, and Jupiter would be engulfed by UY Scuti’s enormous size, likely impacting the orbits of other planets in our solar system.