Cosmic Scale
WOH G64
Hypergiant · 160,000 light-years
How big is WOH G64?
WOH G64 is about 2.1 × 10⁹ km across.
See WOH G64 in 3D, at true scale
WOH G64 is a hypergiant in the Large Magellanic Cloud, wrapped in a thick cocoon of dust it has thrown off. In 2024 it became the first star outside our galaxy to be imaged close up.
At a glance
| Diameter | 2.1 × 10⁹ km |
|---|---|
| Mass | 4.97 × 10³¹ kg |
| Diameter compared with Earth | 168,000 × Earth |
| Distance | 160,000 light-years |
| Radius | Around 1,500 Suns |
| Galaxy | Large Magellanic Cloud |
| Imaged | 2024, VLT Interferometer |
Good to know
- The image revealed an egg-shaped cocoon of dust around it, a sign it is shedding mass fast.
- It has dimmed markedly over the last decade, suggesting rapid change.
- It is a strong candidate to explode as a supernova in astronomical terms — soon.
- Next smaller: KY Cygni · 2.0 × 10⁹ km
- Next larger: Stephenson 2-18 · 3.0 × 10⁹ km