WOH G64 facts for kids

WOH G64 is a truly enormous star, much bigger than our Sun! It's a type of star called a red supergiant star, and it's the biggest star found in a nearby galaxy called the Large Magellanic Cloud. Imagine a star so huge that its diameter is 1,540 times wider than our Sun. That makes WOH G64 one of the largest known stars in the entire universe! Even though it's a supergiant, it's actually one of the "coolest" stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud, with a temperature of about 3,400 Kelvin (which is still incredibly hot, just cooler than many other stars). Scientists also think it might be a special kind of star called a Mira variable, which means its brightness changes over time.

What is a Red Supergiant?

A red supergiant is a very, very big star. It's much larger and brighter than our Sun. These stars are near the end of their lives. They have used up most of their hydrogen fuel. This causes them to swell up to an incredible size. Their outer layers cool down, making them look red. WOH G64 is a perfect example of this type of star.

How Big is WOH G64?

WOH G64 is truly gigantic. Its diameter is about 1,540 times wider than the Sun. To help you imagine this, if WOH G64 were in place of our Sun, its outer edge would reach past the orbit of Jupiter! It's so big that many planets could fit inside it. This makes it one of the most massive and largest stars we know about.

Where is WOH G64 Located?

WOH G64 is not in our Milky Way galaxy. It lives in a nearby galaxy called the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). The LMC is a small galaxy that orbits our own. It's visible from the Southern Hemisphere. Scientists study stars like WOH G64 in the LMC. This helps them learn more about how huge stars form and change.

Is WOH G64 a Variable Star?

Scientists believe WOH G64 might be a "Mira variable" star. A variable star is one whose brightness changes. It gets brighter and then dimmer over a period of time. Mira variables are a specific type of red giant star. Their changes in brightness are caused by pulsations. The star expands and shrinks. This makes its light appear to pulse. Studying these changes helps astronomers understand the star's inner workings.

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