Is there a limit to how big a star can get?

Short Answer: The accepted upper limit of a star’s mass is approximately 300 M (M = Solar Mass; 1 Solar Mass = the mass of the Sun), but the largest star recorded to date is named R136a1, measuring in at 265 M, giving it a total volume that is 27,000 times greater than our Sun.

Is it possible for a star to be bigger than a galaxy?

From largest to smallest they are: Universe, galaxy, solar system, star, planet, moon and asteroid.

What limits the size of galaxies?

The limiting factor really comes down to dark matter density as a function of distance from the galactic centre. If the density of dark matter does not increase quickly enough to sustain luminous baryonic matter, counteractive effects of luminous matter will see the galaxy fall apart.

Can a 500 solar mass star exist?

Observations of giant star cluster suggest upper limit. If there were no limit to how big stars can grow, you’d expect ones up to 500 times our Sun’s mass to be found in this dense cluster of stars. But Figer found no stars larger than about 130 solar masses.

What happens if a star gets too big?

If the star is large enough, it can go through a series of less-efficient nuclear reactions to produce internal heat. However, eventually these reactions will no longer generate sufficient heat to support the star agains its own gravity and the star will collapse.

Why massive stars have shorter lifespans?

A star’s life expectancy depends on its mass. Generally, the more massive the star, the faster it burns up its fuel supply, and the shorter its life. The most massive stars can burn out and explode in a supernova after only a few million years of fusion.

What will happen to Canis Majoris when it dies?

It’s currently a red hypergiant and is slowly nearing its death. Once out of the power to fuse more atoms, its core will collapse and the outer layers of the star will explode in a colossal supernova. The remnant will either be a neutron star or a black hole. VY Canis Majoris is at the end of its life.

Is there a limit to the number of stars in a galaxy?

If you ask about a general limit for how large a galaxy can grow, given enough time, then there are no practical limits. But it’s not so much about the number of stars, but about the total mass.

What is the maximum possible mass of a star?

Short Answer: The accepted upper limit of a star’s mass is approximately 300 M (M = Solar Mass; 1 Solar Mass = the mass of the Sun), but the largest star recorded to date is named R136a1,…

Can a star be born Big?

Astronomers announced today that stars can be born big, butonly so big. Theories over the years have predicted that an upper limiton stellar mass existed somewhere between 10 and 1,000 times the mass of ourSun. Recent observations of a massivecluster of stars in the center of our galaxy has found that this mass cutoff isabout 150 times the Sun.

How big is the upper limit of stellar mass?

Theories over the years have predicted that an upper limiton stellar mass existed somewhere between 10 and 1,000 times the mass of ourSun. Recent observations of a massivecluster of stars in the center of our galaxy has found that this mass cutoff isabout 150 times the Sun. “The primary resultis that there is a cutoff.