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HR 5171 facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

HR 5171 is a super giant star that is much, much bigger than our Sun. It's known as a yellow hypergiant, which means it's one of the largest and brightest stars in the whole universe.

This amazing star is over 1,300 times bigger than the Sun. Imagine how huge that is! It also shines incredibly bright, about 630,000 times brighter than our Sun. HR 5171 isn't alone; it has two other stars orbiting around it. One is another yellow hypergiant, and the other is a blue star.

  • HR 5171A

    This picture shows what HR 5171 might look like.

  • Potw1740a

    Another view of this giant star.

What is a Yellow Hypergiant?

A yellow hypergiant is a very rare type of star. These stars are among the biggest and brightest in the universe. They are much larger than supergiant stars. Yellow hypergiants are also very unstable. This means their size and brightness can change a lot over time. They often lose a lot of their outer layers into space.

Where is HR 5171 Located?

HR 5171 is found in the constellation of Centaurus. This constellation is in the southern sky. You can't see HR 5171 with your eyes alone. It's too far away. Scientists use powerful telescopes to study it.

The Star System of HR 5171

HR 5171 is not just one star. It's actually a triple star system. This means three stars are connected by gravity. They all orbit around each other.

  • The main star, HR 5171 A, is the biggest yellow hypergiant.
  • Another yellow hypergiant, HR 5171 B, orbits the main star.
  • A smaller, hot blue star, HR 5171 C, also orbits the main star.

These stars are very close together. They even touch each other sometimes. This makes them a special type of binary star system called a "contact binary."

How Bright is HR 5171?

HR 5171 is one of the brightest stars we know. It shines with the power of hundreds of thousands of Suns. Its brightness changes over time. This is common for hypergiant stars. Scientists study these changes to learn more about how giant stars behave.

Images for kids

  • V766CenLightCurve

    This graph shows how the brightness of V766 Centauri (another name for HR 5171) changes over time.

  • The field around yellow hypergiant star HR 5171

    This image combines different types of light to show the area around HR 5171.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: V766 Centauri para niños

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HR 5171 Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.