A star is a massive luminous spheroid astronomical object made of plasma that is held together by its own gravity. Stars exhibit great diversity in their properties (such as mass, volume, velocity, stage in stellar evolution, and distance from Earth) and some of the outliers are so disproportionate in comparison with the general population that they are considered extreme. This is a list of such stars.
Records that are regarded as authoritative and unlikely to change at any given point are recorded on a white background, while those that could change with new information and/or discoveries are recorded on a grey background.
Title | Object | Date | Data | Comments | Notes | Refs | See more |
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Nearest star | Sun | 3rd century BC | 1 AU | Our local star's distance was first determined in the 3rd century BC by Aristarchus of Samos. | Reported for reference | ||
Second-nearest star | Proxima Centauri | 1915 | 1.30 pc | Also called Alpha Centauri C, it is the outlying star in a trinary star system that includes Alpha Centauri A (Rigil Kentaurus) and Alpha Centauri B (Toliman). This is currently the nearest known neighbouring star to our own Sun. This star was discovered in 1915, and its parallax was determined at the time, when enough observations were established. | [NB 1] | [1] [2] | List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs |
Most distant individually seen star | WHL0137-LS (Earendel) | 2022 | z= 6.2 ± 0.1 12.9 Gly | [3] [4] | List of the most distant astronomical objects | ||
Most distant star | Stars in JADES-GS-z14-0 | 2024 | z= 13.27 13.6 Gly (light travel distance) | [5] | List of the most distant astronomical objects | ||
Most distant star gravitationally bound to Milky Way galaxy | ULAS J0015+01 | 2014 | 900,000 light-years | Located in the Milky Way's extreme outer halo, far beyond the galactic disc. | [6] | ||
Oldest star | 2MASS J18082002−5104378 | 2018 | 13.53 billion years | [7] [8] | List of oldest stars | ||
Youngest | Stars are being formed constantly in the universe so it is impossible to tell which star is the youngest. For information on the properties of newly formed stars, see Protostar , Young stellar object and Star formation . | ||||||
Title | Object | Date | Data | Comments | Notes | Refs | See more |
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Nearest extrasolar star | Proxima Centauri (Alpha Centauri C) | 1915 | 1.30 parsecs (4.2 ly) | Before Proxima, the title had been held by Alpha Centauri A & B. | [NB 1] [NB 2] | [9] [10] | |
Nearest red dwarf | Before Proxima, the title had been held by Barnard's Star | ||||||
Nearest degenerate star | Sirius B | 1852 | 8.6 light-years (2.6 pc) | This is also the nearest white dwarf. | [NB 3] | ||
Nearest subdwarf | Kapteyn's Star | 1898 | 12.83 light-years (3.93 pc) | Kapteyn's star is either a sdM1 subdwarf [11] or a M1.5V main-sequence star. [12] [13] WISEA 1810−1010 is the nearest undisputed subdwarf, at 29.03 light-years (8.90 pc). [14] | [15] | ||
Nearest borderline subgiant | Procyon | 11.5 light-years (3.5 pc) | All stars closer to the Sun are main sequence, degenerate stars or brown dwarfs. | ||||
Nearest undisputed subgiant | Delta Pavonis | 19.9 light-years (6.1 pc) | A subgiant, but only slightly brighter than the Sun. | ||||
Nearest "true" giant star | Pollux | 33.8 light-years (10.4 pc) | List of nearest giant stars | ||||
Nearest red giant | Arcturus | 36.7 light-years (11.3 pc) | |||||
Nearest supergiant | Canopus | 309 light-years (95 pc) | While it is frequently described as a yellow supergiant, especially in evolutionary terms, [16] it is classified as a bright giant based on spectrum. [17] | [16] | List of nearest supergiants | ||
Nearest hypergiant | μ Cephei (Herschel's Garnet Star) | 3,060 light-years (940 pc) | [18] | ||||
Nearest carbon star | CW Leonis | 310 light-years (95 pc) | |||||
Nearest M-type star | Proxima Centauri | 1915 | 1.30 parsecs (4.2 ly) | List of nearest M-type stars | |||
Nearest K-type star | Alpha Centauri B | 1.33 parsecs (4.3 ly) | List of nearest K-type stars | ||||
Neraest G-type star | Sun | 1 AU | List of nearest G-type stars | ||||
Nearest F-type star | Procyon | 11.46 light-years (3.51 pc) | [19] | List of nearest F-type stars | |||
Nearest A-type star | Sirius | 8.6 light-years (2.6 pc) | List of nearest A-type stars | ||||
Nearest B-type star | Regulus | 79.3 light-years (24.3 pc) | [20] | List of nearest B-type stars | |||
Nearest O-type star | Zeta Ophiuchi | 420 light-years (130 pc) | [21] | List of nearest O-type stars | |||
Nearest Wolf–Rayet star | Gamma Velorum | 1,080 light-years (330 pc) | |||||
Nearest neutron star | RX J1856.35-3754 | 2000 | 400 light-years (120 pc) | [22] [23] [24] | |||
Nearest white dwarf | Sirius B | 1852 | 8.6 light-years (2.6 pc) | Sirius B is also the second white dwarf discovered, after 40 Eridani B. | [9] [25] [26] | ||
Nearest brown dwarf | Luhman 16 | 2013 | 6.5 light-years (2.0 pc) | This is a pair of brown dwarfs in a binary system, with no other stars. | [27] | ||
Nearest Luminous Blue Variable | P Cygni | 5,251 light-years (1,610 pc) | [28] | ||||
Title | Object | Date | Data | Comments | Notes | Refs | See more |
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Brightest star from the Earth: Apparent magnitude | Sun | prehistoric | m=−26.74 | Reported for reference [NB 4] [NB 5] | |||
Brightest star other than the Sun | Sirius (Alpha Canis Majoris) | prehistoric | m= −1.46 | [NB 4] [NB 5] [NB 6] [NB 1] | List of brightest stars | ||
Dimmest star from the Earth | UDF 2457 | m= 25 | [NB 4] [NB 5] | ||||
Brightest star in a transient event | Progenitor of SN 1006 | 1006 | m= −7.5 | This was a supernova, and its remnant (SNR) is catalogued as PKS 1459-41 | [NB 4] [NB 5] [NB 1] | [29] | |
Most luminous star | LGGS J004246.86+413336.4 | 2022 | L= 19,953,000 LSun | [30] | List of most luminous stars | ||
Least luminous star | 2MASS J0523−1403 | 2013 | L=0.000126LSun | [NB 2] [NB 7] | [31] | ||
Most luminous star in a transient event | Progenitor of GRB 080916C | 2008 | V=−40 | The star exploded in a gamma-ray burst with the total energy equal to 9,000 supernovae | [NB 8] | List of gamma-ray bursts | |
Most energetic star | R136a1 | 2010 | B=-12.5 | [NB 7] | [32] | List of most luminous stars | |
Most energetic star in a transient event | Progenitor of GRB 080916C | 2008 | [NB 7] | ||||
Hottest star | WR 102 | T= 200,000 K (200,000 °C ; 360,000 °F ) | [33] | List of hottest stars | |||
Coolest star | S Cassiopeiae | T= 1,800 K (1,530 °C; 2,780 °F) | [34] | List of coolest stars | |||
Title | Object | Date | Data | Comments | Notes | Refs | See more |
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Hottest white dwarf | RX J0439.8-6809 | 2015 | 250,000 K (450,000 °F) | [35] [36] [37] | |||
Hottest neutron star | PSR B0943+10 | 3,100,000 K (5,580,000 °F) | Blackbody temperature of a small emitting area at the poles. | [38] | |||
Hottest brown dwarf | ZTF J1406+1222 B | 2022 | 10,462 K (10,189 °C; 18,372 °F) | [39] | |||
Coolest neutron star | |||||||
Coolest white dwarf | PSR J2222−0137 B | 2014 | <3,000 K (2,730 °C; 4,940 °F) | [40] [37] | |||
Coolest brown dwarf | WISE 0855−0714 | 2014 | 285 K (12 °C; 53 °F) | [41] [42] | |||
Title | Object | Date | Data | Comments | Notes | Refs | See more |
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Largest apparent size star | Sun | prehistoric (3rd century BC) | 31.6′ – 32.7′ | The apparent size of the Sun was first measured by Eratosthenes in the 3rd century BC, [43] who was the second person to measure the distance to the Sun. However, Thales of Miletus provided a measurement for the real size of the Sun in the 6th century BC, as 1⁄720 the great circle of the Sun (the orbit of the Earth) [44] | Reported for reference [NB 5] | ||
Largest extrasolar apparent size star | R Doradus | 1997 | 0.057" | This replaced Betelgeuse as the largest, Betelgeuse having been the first star other than the Sun to have its apparent size measured. | [NB 5] [NB 1] | [45] | |
Smallest apparent size star | Most distant stars to Earth | [NB 5] | |||||
Largest star | VY Canis Majoris | 2024 | 1420±120 R☉ | Consistent with the upper limit for red supergiants of roughly 1,500 R☉ based on the four largest stars measured in a survey, which is consistent with the current stellar evolutionary theory. [46] WOH G64 was the previous candidate [47] but was later found to be a smaller yellow hypergiant. [48] Several candidates exist which have a higher radius, however their radii has been measured by less precise methods and as such their radius value is regarded as less certain. | [49] [50] | List of largest known stars | |
Smallest star | TMTS J052610.43+593445.1 B | 2024 | 0.0661 ± 0.0054 R☉ | A subdwarf O star. | [51] | List of smallest stars | |
Smallest main sequence star | EBLM J0555-57Ab | 2017 | 0.0844+0.0131 −0.0060 R☉ | [NB 2] | [52] [53] [54] [55] | ||
Most massive star | BAT99-98 or R136a1 | 2022, 2014 | 226 M☉ , 196+34 −27 M☉ | This exceeds the predicted limit of 150 M☉, previously believed to be the limit of stellar mass, according to the leading star formation theories. R136a1 considered the most massive known by the scientific community. [56] | [NB 9] | [57] [56] | List of most massive stars |
Least massive star | DENIS J1048−3956 | 0.075 M☉ | [NB 2] | [58] | List of least massive stars | ||
Title | Object | Date | Data | Comments | Notes | Refs | See more |
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Most massive brown dwarf | Lup 607 | 2021 | 105 MJupiter | This is at the limit between brown dwarfs and red dwarfs. [59] [60] | [61] | ||
Most massive degenerate star | The most massive type of degenerate star is the neutron star. See Most massive neutron star for this recordholder. [NB 3] | ||||||
Most massive neutron star | PSR J0740+6620 | 2019 | 2.14 M☉ | Several candidates exist which have a higher mass, however their mass has been measured by less precise methods and as such their mass value is regarded as less certain. | [62] | List of most massive neutron stars | |
Most massive neutron star (disputed) | PSR J1748-2021B | 2015 | 2.548 M☉ | [63] | |||
Most massive white dwarf | RE J0317-853/ZTF J1901+1458 | 1998/2020 | 1.35 MSun | [64] [65] | |||
Title | Object | Date | Data | Comments | Notes | Refs | See more |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Least massive star | DENIS J1048−3956 | 0.075 M☉ | [58] | List of least massive stars | |||
Least massive neutron star | HESS J1731-347 | 2022 | 0.77 M☉ | [66] [67] | |||
Least massive white dwarf | NLTT 11748 | 2021 | 0.13–0.16 M☉ | [37] | |||
Least massive brown dwarf | (unnamed) | 2023 | 3 – 4 MJ | Located in the star cluster IC 348 | [68] [69] | Sub-brown dwarf | |
Title | Object | Date | Data | Comments | Notes | Refs | See more |
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Highest proper motion | Barnard's Star | 10.3 "/yr | This is also the fourth closest star to the Solar System. | [70] [71] | |||
Lowest proper motion | N/A | N/A | ~0 "/yr | Billions of stars on the other end of the galaxy | |||
Highest radial velocity | |||||||
Lowest radial velocity | EY Aquarii | 2013 | -870 km/s | Mira variable | [NB 10] | [72] | |
Highest peculiar motion | |||||||
Lowest peculiar motion | |||||||
Highest rotational speed of a normal star | VFTS 102 | 2013 | 600 km/s | [NB 2] | [73] | ||
Lowest rotational speed | Przybylski's Star | 1961 | 0.0014 km/s | ||||
Fastest velocity of a star | S5-HVS1 | 2019 | 1,755 km/s | [74] [75] [76] [77] | |||
Title | Object | Date | Data | Comments | Notes | Refs | See more |
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Least stars in a star system | There are many single star systems. | ||||||
Most stars in a star system | Nonuple star system [78] | System contains at least nine stars. [78] | [NB 11] | [78] | |||
Stars in the closest orbit around one another | There are many stars that are in contact binary systems (where two or more stars are in physical contact with each other). | ||||||
Stars in the most distant orbit around one another | Regulus/SDSS J1007+1930 | 2024 | ~3.9 parsecs (13 ly) | [79] | |||
Nearest multiple star system | Alpha Centauri | 1839 | 1.30 parsecs (4.2 ly) | This was one of the first three stars to have its distance measured. [80] [81] | [9] [82] | ||
Nearest solitary star | Barnard's Star | 1916 | 1.83 parsecs (6.0 ly) | ||||
Nearest binary star system | Luhman 16 | 2013 | 1.998 parsecs (6.52 ly) | Brown dwarf binary system. The nearest non-brown dwarf binary is Sirius, and the nearest composed entirely of main-sequence stars is Luyten 726-8. | |||
Nearest trinary star system | Alpha Centauri | 1839 | 1.38 parsecs (4.5 ly) | Also nearest multiple star system, and nearest star system of any type | |||
Nearest quaternary star system | Gliese 570 | 5.88 parsecs (19.2 ly) | K4 star orbited by a pair of M stars, all orbited by a T7 brown dwarf. | ||||
Nearest quintenary star system | V1054 Ophiuchi | 6.46 parsecs (21.1 ly) | M3 star orbited by a pair of pair of M4 stars, together orbited by an M3.5 star, all orbited by an M7 star. | ||||
Nearest sextenary star system | Castor | 1718 | 15.6 parsecs (51 ly) | A1 star orbited by a red dwarf, both orbited by another A star orbited by a red dwarf, all orbited by two red dwarfs orbiting each other. | |||
Nearest septenary star system | Nu Scorpii | 150 parsecs (490 ly) | A B3V star orbited by an unknown-type star, both orbited by another unknown star, together orbited by another unknown star, all orbited by a B9III star orbiting a pair of stars which are a B9III and unknown star. |
HD 63454, formally named Ceibo, is a star located in the southern circumpolar constellation Chamaeleon near the border with Mensa. To see the star, one needs a small telescope because it has an apparent magnitude of 9.36, which is below the limit for naked eye visibility. The object is located relatively close at a distance of 123 light years based on Gaia DR3 parallax measurements but is receding with a heliocentric radial velocity of 33.8 km/s. At its current distance, HD 63454's brightness is diminished by two tenths of a magnitude due to interstellar dust. It has an absolute magnitude of +6.68.
36 Ursae Majoris is a double star in the northern constellation of Ursa Major. With an apparent visual magnitude of 4.8, it can be seen with the naked eye in suitable dark skies. Based upon parallax measurements, this binary lies at a distance of 42 light-years from Earth.
YZ Canis Minoris is a red-hued star in the equatorial constellation of Canis Minor. With an apparent visual magnitude of 11.15, it is much too faint to be viewed with the naked eye. The distance to YZ CMi can be estimated from its annual parallax shift of 167 mas, yielding a value of 19.5 light years. Presently the star is moving further away with a heliocentric radial velocity of +26.5 km/s. It made its closest approach some 162,000 years ago when it made perihelion passage at a distance of 10.2 ly. YZ CMi is a potential member of the Beta Pictoris moving group.
HD 197037 is a binary star system. Its primary or visible star, HD 197037 A, is a F-type main-sequence star. Its surface temperature is 6150±34 K. HD 197037 A is depleted in heavy elements compared to the Sun, with a metallicity Fe/H index of −0.16±0.03, but is younger at an age of 3.408±0.924 billion years.
HD 27022, also known as HR 1327, is a star located in the northern circumpolar constellation Camelopardalis. The object has also been designated as 20 H. Camelopardalis, but is not commonly used in modern times. It has an apparent magnitude of 5.27, allowing it to be faintly visible to the naked eye. Based on parallax measurements from Gaia DR3, the star has been estimated to be 347 light years away. It appears to be approaching the Solar System, having a heliocentric radial velocity of −19.5 km/s.
HD 194012 is a star in the equatorial constellation Delphinus. It has an apparent magnitude of 6.15, making it visible to the naked eye under ideal conditions. The star is relatively close at a distance of only 85 light years but is receding with a heliocentric radial velocity of 4.5 km/s.
HR 8526, also known as HD 212168, is the primary of a triple star located in the southern circumpolar constellation Octans. The star and its companion have apparent magnitudes of 6.12 and 9.36 respectively. The system is located relatively close at a distance of 76 light years based on Gaia DR3 parallax measurements, but is receding with a heliocentric radial velocity of 15 km/s.