A quick check on the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO) website shows that VY varies between magnitudes 7.4 at brightest to 9.6.

For the past few months it's been around 8.0, bright enough to see in ordinary binoculars.

But its variability is not exactly the reason I wanted to acquaint you with this star.
VY is special for an entirely different reason - it's the largest star known! Astronomers estimate its diameter at some 2,000 times the size of the sun.

And since the sun is no slouch at 864,000 miles across, VY is truly a monster.

Posted: 10:37:17 AM  

Forget global warming - it's Cycle 25 we need to worry about (and if NASA scientists are right the Thames will be freezing over again)

The supposed 'consensus' on man-made global warming is facing an inconvenient challenge after the release of new temperature data showing the planet has not warmed for the past 15 years.
The figures suggest that we could even be heading for a mini ice age to rival the 70-year temperature drop that saw frost fairs held on the Thames in the 17th Century.

Hotter summers "may kill 5,900 every year", warns first national risk assessment of climate change

British summers will get hotter while winters will be milder and wetter, according to the £2.8 million report. It warned the hotter summers could result in up to 5,900 extra deaths a year by 2050.

Posted: 10:25:38 AM