Stephenson 2-18 size and scale context

Stephenson 2-18 is a very cool, luminous red supergiant candidate in the direction of the Stephenson 2 stellar association. It has been given one of the largest published stellar size estimates, but its exact diameter remains uncertain because the star is distant, dust-affected, and difficult to separate cleanly from its surrounding region. Read its scale context, comparisons, and journey links on the canonical object page.

DenebA-type blue-white supergiant star·280 million km
BetelgeuseRed supergiant star·1.05 billion km
VY Canis MajorisRed hypergiant star·1.98 billion km
Stephenson 2-18Extreme red supergiant candidate·~2.99 billion km
Solar SystemPlanetary system·9 billion km

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