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Why is the star Rigel so bright?
When a star is as large as Rigel, and burns through fuel at such a voracious pace, the sheer volume of energy being produced and radiation being emitted is monumental. Rigel remains one of the largest blue supergiants ever discovered, so it comes as no surprise that it shines like such a beacon among the stars.
Is Betelgeuse brighter than Rigel?
The “beta” designation is commonly given to the second-brightest star in each constellation, but Rigel is almost always brighter than α Orionis (Betelgeuse).
What is the difference between Betelgeuse and Rigel?
Betelgeuse is a red supergiant — the largest class of stars. It’s probably close to 20 times as massive as the Sun. Rigel is a blue supergiant. Like Betelgeuse, it is much bigger and heavier than the Sun.
Why is Rigel so much brighter than the sun?
Science of Rigel. That’s because its surface temperature is much hotter, about 21,000 degrees Fahrenheit (11,600 degrees Celsius) in contrast to about 10,000 F (5,500 C) for the sun.
Is Rigel smaller than the sun?
In terms of overall size, Rigel measures 79 times the diameter of the sun. And yet, it’s only 21 times more massive.
How big is Betelgeuse vs Rigel?
Betelgeuse has a diameter ≈ 1300 times that of the Sun. Aldebaran has a diameter ≈ 45 times that of the Sun. Rigel has a diameter of about 116 million km, ≈ 35 times that of the Sun.
Is Betelgeuse brighter than the Sun?
Betelgeuse emits almost 7,500 times as much energy as the Sun. The combination of size and temperature tells astronomers that the star is a kind of star called a red super giant….Betelgeuse.
| Fact Table | |
|---|---|
| Name | Betelgeuse |
| Distance | 520 light years |
| Diameter | 700 Million miles |
| Brightness | 7,500 times greater than the Sun |
How does Rigel compare to the sun?
Located 863 light-years away, Rigel’s computed luminosity is an incredible 120,000 times the brightness of our sun. Compare that to 10,000 degrees F (5,500 degrees C) for the sun. In terms of overall size, Rigel measures 79 times the diameter of the sun. And yet, it’s only 21 times more massive.
Is Rigel bigger than the sun?
Its surface temperature is also far hotter than the sun, around 21,000 degrees Fahrenheit (11,600 degrees Celsius). Compare that to 10,000 degrees F (5,500 degrees C) for the sun. In terms of overall size, Rigel measures 79 times the diameter of the sun. And yet, it’s only 21 times more massive.
What is the classification of Betelgeuse?
Betelgeuse belongs to the spectral class M2Iab. The M refers to the star’s colour, red, and the ‘ Iab ’ suffix indicates that the star is an intermediate luminosity supergiant.
What is the luminosity of Betelgeuse?
Betelgeuse has about 140,000 times the luminosity of our sun or about 5.37×1031 watts.
What Constellation is Betelgeuse in?
Betelgeuse is generally the ninth-brightest star in the night sky and second-brightest in the constellation of Orion (after Rigel). It is a distinctly reddish, semiregular variable star whose apparent magnitude varies between +0.0 and +1.3, the widest range of any first-magnitude star.
What color is Betelgeuse?
Due to its distinctive orange-red color, Betelgeuse is easy to spot with the naked eye in the night sky. It is one of three stars that make up the Winter Triangle asterism, and it marks the center of the Winter Hexagon .