Rigel has been a known visual binary since at least 1831 , when it was first measured by F. G. W. Struve . Though Rigel B is not particularly faint at magnitude 6.7 , its closeness to Rigel A - which is over 500 times brighter - makes it a challenging target for telescopes smaller than 150 m. At Rigel 's estimated distance , Rigel B is separated from its primary by over 2200 AU ; not surprisingly , there has been no sign of orbital movement , though they share the same proper motion .
Rigel is much bigger than our star here in the solar system , the Sun .
Rigel is much smaller than our star here in the solar system, the Sun.