UY Scuti
 Dense starfield around the red supergiant star UY Scuti (brightest star in the image) as seen from the Rutherfurd Observatory in the Columbia University in New York, United States. Picture is captured in 2011. |
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| Observation data Epoch J2000 Equinox J2000 |
|
|---|---|
| Constellation | Scutum |
| Right ascension | 18h 27m 36.5334s |
| Declination | −12° 27′ 58.866″ |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 8.9 - 11.20 |
| Characteristics | |
| Spectral type | M4Ia |
| U−B color index | 3.29 |
| B−V color index | 3.00 |
| Variable type | SRC |
| Astrometry | |
| Proper motion (μ) |
RA: 1.3 mas/yr Dec.: −1.6 mas/yr |
| Distance | 9,500 ly (2,900pc) |
| Absolute magnitude (MV) | −6.2 |
| Details | |
| Mass | 7–10 M☉ |
| Radius | 1,708±192 R☉ |
| Luminosity | 340,000 L☉ |
| Surface gravity (log g) | −0.5 cgs |
| Temperature | 3,365±134 K |
| Other designations | |
| Database references | |
| SIMBAD | data |
Coordinates: 
18h 27m 36.53s, −12° 27′ 58.9″ UY Scuti is a bright red supergiant and pulsating variable star in the constellation Scutum. It is a current and leading candidate for being the largest known star by radius and is also one of the most luminous of its kind. It has an estimated radius of 1,708 solar radii (1.188×109kilometres; 7.94 astronomical units); thus a volume nearly 5 billion times that of the Sun. It is approximately 2.9 kiloparsecs (9,500 light-years) from Earth. If placed at the center of the Solar System, its photosphere would at least engulf the orbit of Jupiter.
UY Scuti was first cataloged in 1860 by German astronomers at the Bonn Observatory during the first sky survey of stars for the Bonner Durchmusterung Stellar Catalogue. It was named BD -12 5055, the 5,055th star between 12°S and 13°S counting from 0h right ascension.
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