Cosmic Scale
Rigel
Blue supergiant · 860 light-years
How big is Rigel?
Rigel is about 1.1 × 10⁸ km across.
See Rigel in 3D, at true scale
Rigel is a blue supergiant marking Orion's foot, and one of the most luminous stars visible to the naked eye. It burns through its fuel at a furious rate and will end as a supernova.
At a glance
| Diameter | 1.1 × 10⁸ km |
|---|---|
| Mass | 4.18 × 10³¹ kg |
| Diameter compared with Earth | 8,620 × Earth |
| Distance | 860 light-years |
| Surface | 12,100 K |
| Brightness | 120,000 Suns |
Good to know
- It lights up a nearby cloud of dust known as the Witch Head Nebula.
- It is only about 8 million years old — the Sun was still forming its planets at that age.
- It pulsates slightly, changing brightness over days to weeks.