Ask an Astronomer for KIDS! - Is the sun the largest star?




Is the sun the largest star?

Although the sun appear larger to us than any other star, there are many stars which are much larger. The sun appears so large compared to the other stars because it is so much closer to us than any other star. The sun is just an average sized star. For example, below is a list of some of the largest stars in our galaxy and how they compare to our sun:

Mu Cephi - about 1500 times the size of our sun
Betelgeuse - about 900 times the size of our sun
Antares - about 530 times the size of our sun
Deneb - about 145 times the size of our sun