VV Cephei facts for kids
VV Cephei is a special type of binary star system. This means it is made up of two stars that orbit each other. It is also an eclipsing binary, which means one star passes in front of the other from our view on Earth, causing its light to dim. This amazing star system is located in the Cepheus constellation, about 5,000 light years away from us.
Contents
What Makes VV Cephei Special?
The VV Cephei system has two main stars: VV Cephei A and VV Cephei B. These stars are very different in size and type, making them interesting to study.
VV Cephei A: A Red Supergiant
VV Cephei A is one of the biggest stars we know about. It is a type of star called a red supergiant. Imagine a star that is super huge and glows with a reddish light! Its diameter is about 1,000 times wider than our own Sun.
VV Cephei B: Its Blue Partner
Orbiting around the giant VV Cephei A is a smaller, hotter star called VV Cephei B. This star is blue and much brighter. It is still quite big, with a size that is 13 to 25 times larger than the Sun's radius.
How Big is VV Cephei A?
To help you understand just how enormous VV Cephei A is, let's imagine something. If VV Cephei A were placed right where our Sun is in the center of our Solar System, its outer edge would reach almost all the way to the orbit of Jupiter. That's incredibly vast!
Other Giant Stars
Even though VV Cephei A is truly massive, there are a few other stars that are even bigger. Stars like VY Canis Majoris, WOH G64, and Stephenson 2-18 are known to be larger. This shows us just how diverse and amazing the universe is!
Related pages
See also
In Spanish: VV Cephei para niños
