Book 1, Question 77 · Video
Is the Sun the Biggest Star? Sizes in Space!
Our Sun looks huge, but is it the biggest star? The page says it is only medium-sized compared with other stars. Red dwarfs are the most common stars and are much smaller and coole
Read the full answer →What Crafty Clover says in this video
Intro
Hi! I'm Crafty Clover! Let's discover something amazing. Is the Sun the biggest star?
The Big Idea
The Sun looks huge to us, because it's the closest star to Earth. But out in space, it's only a medium-sized star compared to other stars! Stars come in lots of sizes. Let's explore!
The Sun Is Medium for a Star
Number one: our Sun is medium-sized, for a star. It's still really big! About 109 Earths could line up across it. But lots of other stars are much, much bigger.
Many Stars Are Smaller Red Dwarfs
Number two: many stars are smaller red dwarfs. Red dwarfs are the most common stars in our galaxy. They're much smaller and cooler than the Sun. So here's a secret: the Sun is actually bigger than most stars out there!
Some Giants Would Swallow Earth
Number three: some giant stars are enormous! The very biggest stars of all are called supergiants. If one took the Sun's place, it would be so big that it would swallow Earth's whole orbit! Betelgeuse, a red supergiant in the constellation Orion, is one of them.
Size Line-Up
Let's line up some stars by size! A red dwarf is small and cool. Our Sun is medium. A giant star is enormous! And tiny Earth? Next to the Sun, it's just a speck. So the Sun is huge next to Earth, but tiny next to some stars!
Quick Facts
Quick facts! About one point three million Earths could fit inside the Sun! About three out of every four stars are red dwarfs. The Sun is the closest star to Earth, so it looks big and bright. And a star's color tells its temperature. Red stars are cooler, and blue stars are the hottest!
Think Like a Scientist
Now, think like a scientist! Line up a pea, a marble, and a beach ball. The pea is like a red dwarf. Tiny! The marble is like our Sun. Medium! And the beach ball is like a giant star. Enormous! Remember, size depends on what you compare it to!
Outro
The Sun isn't the biggest star, but it's the perfect star for us! Crafty Clover can be found on Amazon Books, Google Bookstore, and Apple Books. Available for purchase or download! Bye for now!