What is canis major brightest star

It is an irregular variable star, varying between apparent magnitudes 3. This star is expected to explode as a type II supernova in the near future. Omicron 2 Canis Majoris is the seventh brightest star in the constellation of Canis Major, having an apparent magnitude of 3.

Omicron 2 is located at around 2, light-years away from us. Omicron 2 is classified as a massive supergiant of spectral type B3 la, appearing blue in color. RX J This small star is located at around 1, light-years away. VY Canis Majoris is a red hypergiant or supergiant located at around 3. It is among the largest known stars ever discovered. VY Canis Majoris has around 1. VY Canis Majoris is also among the brightest stars known to us, being around , times brighter than our Sun, yet with estimated surface temperatures cooler than our Sun, at around 3, K.

VY Canis Majoris has an apparent magnitude that varies from 6. This star is quite young, being only 8. When VY Canis Majoris will reach the end of its life, it will explode as a hypernova, an event that is over times stronger than a supernova. Iota Canis Majoris is a blue-white supergiant star located at around 3, light-years away. This star is also a variable, having a medium apparent magnitude of 4. It is also almost three times as hot, having surface temperatures of around 17, K.

W Canis Majoris is a carbon star located at around 1, light-years away from us. This star has an apparent magnitude that varies slowly and irregularly from 6. W Canis Majoris has carbon and s-process elements dredged up to the surface during thermal pulses of its helium-burning shell.

EZ Canis Majoris is a binary star system located at around 4, light-years away. The primary star is a Wolf-Rayet type of star, being among the top ten brightest Wolf-Rayet stars. EZ Canis Majoris has an apparent magnitude that varies from 6. This Wolf-Rayet star has a bolometric luminosity , times greater than that of our Sun.

It is also several times hotter, having temperatures of around 89, K. HD , also designated as WR 7, is also a Wolf-Rayet star, located at around 17, light-years away from us. This star has an apparent magnitude of NGC has an apparent magnitude of 7. Some speculate that this open cluster is around 2. NGC , also known as Caldwell 64, is a massive open cluster, having more than solar masses. It has an apparent magnitude of 4.

NGC is believed to have been discovered before The cluster is in relation with the giant nebula Sh NGC is a relatively fain open cluster that contains around 15 stars which are visible through binoculars. This cluster has an apparent magnitude of 6. This nebula isis 30 light-years in size. The nebula contains hundreds of solar masses of ionized material and unionized gas. NGC and IC are a pair of colliding spiral galaxies that are located at around 80 million light-years away from us. The larger galaxy is NGC , and it is classified as an intermediate spiral galaxy.

It then undergoes inferior solar conjunction, passing between the Earth and Sun a few months after reaching greatest prominence in the evening sky. These lights are actually satellites, launched into space by the U. The satellites are part of something called Starlink. Head out to the country. The best time to spot satellites is just after dark or before dawn when the sun is a few degrees below the horizon.

During the middle of the night, the earth blocks the sun from the satellites as they pass overhead making them invisible. It is a blue supergiant, approximately 3, light years distant, and already approaching the final stages of its life. It is expected to become a supernova within the next few million years. Tau CMa is an eclipsing spectroscopic binary star about 3, light years from Earth.

The star is an O-type blue supergiant classified as a Beta Lyrae type variable. Its brightness varies between magnitude 4. The Tau Canis Majoris Cluster is an open cluster — a group of stars born from the same molecular cloud.

Though the stars in this image were all created at the same time, their various different masses mean they will lead very different lives. As Tau Canis Majoris is one of the most massive and short-lived types of star, it will burn through its nuclear fuel long before its smaller companions, which will keep on shining for billions of years. Image: ESO. Phurud or Furud is a spectroscopic binary star. The brighter component is a blue-white B-type main sequence dwarf.

The companion is an unseen star. The two orbit around a common centre once every days. Muliphein is a blue-white B-type bright giant approximately light years distant.

It has an apparent magnitude of 4. M41 is an open cluster located four degrees south of Sirius. It is light years in diameter and between and million years old. The cluster contains about stars, with the brightest one being a K3-type giant located near the centre of the cluster. M41 also contains several red giants. The cluster is approximately 2, light years distant. It was discovered by the Italian astronomer Giovanni Batista Hodierna in the 17th century.

The Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy CMa Dwarf is an irregular galaxy, roughly elliptical in shape, that is believed to be the nearest neighbouring galaxy to the solar system. It is approximately 25, light years distant from Earth and 42, light years away from the Galactic Centre.

The Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy contains about a billion stars, among them a significant number of red giants. The galaxy was first discovered in by an international team of astronomers. It is a difficult object to observe because it lies behind the plane of the Milky Way, obscured by stars, dust and gas.

NGC is an emission nebula in Canis Major. It is about 30 light years in size, and some 15, light years distant from Earth. The nebula is formed around the central Wolf-Rayet star, an exceptionally hot giant which will meet its end as a supernova.

The observations were broadcast live over the internet from the Paranal Observatory in Chile. The helmet-shaped nebula is around 15 light-years away from Earth and is over 30 light-years across. They are approximately 80 million light years distant.