Cosmic Scale
KY Cygni
Red supergiant · 5,000 light-years
How big is KY Cygni?
KY Cygni is about 2.0 × 10⁹ km across.
See KY Cygni in 3D, at true scale
KY Cygni is a red supergiant in Cygnus, one of the largest stars in the Milky Way. Dust along the line of sight dims it heavily, so it looks far less impressive than it is.
At a glance
| Diameter | 2.0 × 10⁹ km |
|---|---|
| Mass | 4.97 × 10³¹ kg |
| Diameter compared with Earth | 155,000 × Earth |
| Distance | About 5,000 light-years |
| Radius | Around 1,400 Suns |
| Brightness | About 270,000 Suns |
| Type | Red supergiant |
Good to know
- Interstellar dust absorbs most of its visible light before it reaches us.
- It varies irregularly in brightness as its outer layers pulse.
- Placed at the Sun's position, its surface would reach roughly to Jupiter's orbit.
- Next smaller: VY Canis Majoris · 2.0 × 10⁹ km
- Next larger: WOH G64 · 2.1 × 10⁹ km