Comparison of planets and stars

Comparison of planets and stars

Here are some famous largest stars in the galaxy. They're ordered by solar radius which is the unit of measurement based on the radius of the sun in Sol (695,700 km; 432,288 mi). When compared to well-known planets it gives a better indication of the scale. Betelgeuse has planets around it making it easier to have a sense of the massive scale. You can see how small Sol is compared to for example Aldebaran in the Comparison of planets and stars image.

The largest known star within 10k ly from Sol is Eta Carinae, located 7500 ly from Sol. The larger of the two stars weighs in at ~90 solar masses. It has a companion at ~30 solar masses (estimates are variable) and they are 750 ls apart at periastron.

UY Scuti and NML Cygni are not in the game, because back in 2013 when the galaxy was being crafted, the diameter of UY Scuti had not yet been measured and reported in the popular astronomy press. Back then, VY Canis Majoris was "the largest star in the known galaxy". It could be added with an update.

A list of largest stars recorded in Elite Dangerous can be on Elite Galaxy Online and the Universal Cartographics Record Book.

Famous Largest Stars Edit

These stars are listed from smallest to largest.

Videos Edit