supergiants
Massive dying stars
Supergiants are the largest and most luminous stars, having expanded enormously as they exhaust their hydrogen fuel.
A red supergiant like Betelgeuse may be hundreds of times the Sun's diameter.
These massive stars burn through their fuel quickly and often end in supernova explosions.
The constellation Orion contains several supergiants.
Red supergiant star
- AntaresRed supergiant in Scorpius
- RigelBlue supergiant star
- DenebCygnus's brightest star
- PolarisCelestial north marker
Canopus · hypergiant · fusion · stellar wind · nucleosynthesis · iron core · photosphere · chromosphere
Red supergiant star
- AntaresRed supergiant in Scorpius
- coolCalm or fashionable
- expandedMade larger or wider
- evolvedChanged through successive generations
late-stage · convective · pulsating · carbon-rich · crimson · ruddy
Blue supergiant star
Degree of light emitted
- radianceGlowing luminous quality
- brillianceExceptional intelligence or luster
- luminosityIntrinsic brightness of source
- glowSteady, soft light
incandescence · blazing · dazzling · beaming · shining · gleaming · effulgence · magnitude
Extremely large in scale
- colossalExtremely large in scale
- titanicEnormously strong or large
- immenseExtremely large in scope
- vastExtremely great in size
behemoth · gargantuan · mammoth · heavyweight · heavy · gravitational
Betelgeuse
Red supergiant star
Polaris · Canopus · hypergiant · fusion · stellar wind · nucleosynthesis · iron core · photosphere · chromosphere · variable star
Betelgeuse
Red supergiant star
evolved · late-stage · convective · pulsating · carbon-rich · crimson · ruddy
Rigel
Blue supergiant star
massive · young · short-lived · ultraviolet · stellar wind
brightness
Degree of light emitted
- radianceGlowing luminous quality
- brillianceExceptional intelligence or luster
- luminosityIntrinsic brightness of source
glow · incandescence · blazing · dazzling · beaming · shining · gleaming · effulgence · magnitude · beacon
enormous
Extremely large in scale
vast · behemoth · gargantuan · mammoth · heavyweight · heavy · gravitational
supergiantsminnows
Tiny freshwater fish
small fry · bit players · minor leaguers · lightweights · nobodies
- red supergiantHuge, cool, evolved star
- blue supergiantMassive, hot, luminous star