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Here's something that recently blew my mind, there are stars in our universe that are larger than the width of our entire solar system. Space and objects inside

Here's something that recently blew my mind, there are stars in our universe that are larger than the width of our entire solar system. Space and objects inside it is huge!

RemoteWorker 12y ago
What if I told you there are blackholes larger than our entire solar system? "The diameter of the black hole's immense event horizon is on the order of 110 billion kilometres, 18 times the distance from the Sun to Pluto, and has the mass equivalent to that of two dwarf galaxies." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_Cluster https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_Cluster http://youtu.be/QgNDao7m41M?t=2m40s http://youtu.be/QgNDao7m41M?t=2m40s
- MichaelApproved 12y ago
  Blackholes I get because I've always considered them big and heard about the massive ones in the center of galaxies but stars felt different because I was used to the size of our Sun. Not that the Sun isn't big, I just expected other stars to be relatively the same size, give or take a few orders of magnates. These things are so large http://www.kratosguide.com/wp-content/gallery/mind-pictures/earth-universe-comparison.jpg http://www.kratosguide.com/wp-content/gallery/mind-pictures/...
  - RemoteWorker 12y ago
    Correct me if I'm wrong bu blackholes are compressed matter. They are typically formed by a star that collapses on itself, so they are always very small in comparison. That's why I couldn't believe it when I found out there were some so large. Unless... they become so large by eating worlds over time? Where are all the HN physicists when you need them?
    - MichaelApproved 12y ago
      I believe the singularity point, where all the mass collects, is small (dimensionless) but the gravity well that is created by the mass is what is measured when the size is determined. The edge of the gravity well is referred to as the event horizon. The event horizon of a black hole is the point which matter can no longer escape the gravity of the black hole. However, I've been wrong several times already in this thread so take it for what that's worth.
MichaelApproved 12y ago
Can't edit my original post but I need to correct myself. The largest known star is VY Canis Majoris which is about 6.6 Astronomical Units wide. Our solar system has a diameter of 79 AU. So stars are big but there doesn't seem to be a known star which is as big as our solar system, yet! Here's another video that goes into the size of things. You can mute the sound, you're not missing anything https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEheh1BH34Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEheh1BH34Q
- dsp1234 12y ago
  It has a radius of 6.6AU, which means it actually has a diameter/width of 13.2AU. Also there are a few stars which are candidates for "the largest star" which you can see at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_known_stars http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_known_stars. A few of them are larger than VY Canis Majoris.
  - MichaelApproved 12y ago
    Thanks for the corrections. Wish I could edit my original comment to note the inaccuracies.

Here's something that recently blew my mind, there are stars in our universe that are larger than the width of our entire solar system. Space and objects inside it is huge!

RemoteWorker 12y ago

What if I told you there are blackholes larger than our entire solar system? "The diameter of the black hole's immense event horizon is on the order of 110 billion kilometres, 18 times the distance from the Sun to Pluto, and has the mass equivalent to that of two dwarf galaxies." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_Cluster https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_Cluster http://youtu.be/QgNDao7m41M?t=2m40s http://youtu.be/QgNDao7m41M?t=2m40s

MichaelApproved 12y ago
Blackholes I get because I've always considered them big and heard about the massive ones in the center of galaxies but stars felt different because I was used to the size of our Sun. Not that the Sun isn't big, I just expected other stars to be relatively the same size, give or take a few orders of magnates. These things are so large http://www.kratosguide.com/wp-content/gallery/mind-pictures/earth-universe-comparison.jpg http://www.kratosguide.com/wp-content/gallery/mind-pictures/...
- RemoteWorker 12y ago
  Correct me if I'm wrong bu blackholes are compressed matter. They are typically formed by a star that collapses on itself, so they are always very small in comparison. That's why I couldn't believe it when I found out there were some so large. Unless... they become so large by eating worlds over time? Where are all the HN physicists when you need them?
  - MichaelApproved 12y ago
    I believe the singularity point, where all the mass collects, is small (dimensionless) but the gravity well that is created by the mass is what is measured when the size is determined. The edge of the gravity well is referred to as the event horizon. The event horizon of a black hole is the point which matter can no longer escape the gravity of the black hole. However, I've been wrong several times already in this thread so take it for what that's worth.

MichaelApproved 12y ago

Can't edit my original post but I need to correct myself. The largest known star is VY Canis Majoris which is about 6.6 Astronomical Units wide. Our solar system has a diameter of 79 AU. So stars are big but there doesn't seem to be a known star which is as big as our solar system, yet! Here's another video that goes into the size of things. You can mute the sound, you're not missing anything https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEheh1BH34Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEheh1BH34Q

dsp1234 12y ago
It has a radius of 6.6AU, which means it actually has a diameter/width of 13.2AU. Also there are a few stars which are candidates for "the largest star" which you can see at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_known_stars http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_known_stars. A few of them are larger than VY Canis Majoris.
- MichaelApproved 12y ago
  Thanks for the corrections. Wish I could edit my original comment to note the inaccuracies.