Stargazing UY Scuti, the biggest known star, viewed through a telescope

[Haktarfone]

I have been appointed the project manager at Rutherfurd Observatory, and was thus granted access to use the primary telescope. I spent 2 days trying to locate UY Scuti and finally, I've did it!

For those who don't know what UY Scuti, it's the biggest known star in the universe. If it were to be replaced with the Sun in our solar system, it'd extend beyond the boundary of Saturn.

Here's a cheeky peek at our big-boy UY Scuti (the brightest star in the middle):

What do you think?

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

What do you think?

That is awesome Haktarfone! Please keep us updated with more images :)

 

[SteamKing]

For those who don't know what UY Scuti, it's the biggest known star in the universe. If it were to be replaced with the Sun in our solar system, it'd extend beyond the boundary of Saturn.

emphasis added.

That's a pretty bold claim, since we know next to nothing about our own Milky Way galaxy, let alone the millions of other galaxies which are visible.

 

[Haktarfone]

emphasis added.

That's a pretty bold claim, since we know next to nothing about our own Milky Way galaxy, let alone the millions of other galaxies which are visible.

I am NOT saying that UY Scuti is the largest star in the entire universe, I am saying that UY Scuti is the largest star discovered yet. It has a median radius of 1,708 solar radii, or approximately 7.94 AU.

 

[Creator]

Yeah; cool; its also a variable star ...mag. 11.2 to 13.2.

 

[Drakkith]

Fun fact: The majority of the star's volume is composed of a gas that is less dense than most of the Earth's atmosphere.

 

[Creator]

Fun fact: The majority of the star's volume is composed of a gas that is less dense than most of the Earth's atmosphere.

Fun Fact #2... apparently that "gas" contains molecular layers of H2O and CO.
http://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/abs/2013/06/aa20920-12/aa20920-12.html