Thread: VY Canis majori
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Old 08-01-2009, 09:54 AM
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erick (Eric)
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Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Gerringong
Posts: 8,548
I've had this red hypergiant on my target list for a year - time to hunt it down this Summer so I can say I've gazed at it!

"University of Minnesota professor Roberta M. Humphreys[1] estimates the radius of VY CMa at 1800 to 2100 solar radii.[2] To illustrate, if our Sun were replaced with VY Canis Majoris, its surface would extend to the orbit of Saturn. Assuming the upper size limit of 2100 solar radii, light would take more than 8 hours to travel around the star's circumference, as opposed to 14.5 seconds for the sun."

I just gotta see the fella!

I found I had to locate it the hard way. Wikipedia gives the RA and Dec:-

Right Ascension 07h 22m 58.29s
Declination -25deg 46min 03.5sec

I just blew up Stellarium at this location and searched and I'm sure that it was fairly clear which star it was. Magnitude is reported as 9.5 so not particularly distinctive. I recall that it was not going to be an easy starhop which is probably why I haven't put the time in as yet.
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