Epic Betelgeuse Trip!

[LeetNoob]

It's not necessarily a mistake. Stars going through the red giant (or supergiant) stage have lost a significant amount of matter through numerous coronal mass ejections before entering this stage. The "relative" size is directly attributed to the triple alpha process which is when the star stops fusing hydrogen and starts on fusing helium instead... essentially it inflates like a balloon while keeping most of the remaining mass.

red supergiants can only be created by stars roughly 10 solar masses or more. Although they will lose some mass in the process.
Bettelguese is estimated to be somewhere between 7 and 20 solar masses. That is defiantly a mistake.

 

[Blood Lust]

It is approx. 2 million solar masses and its radius should reach Jupiters orbit.

 

[dementia]

You should go to VY Canis Majoris if you want to see awesome!

 

[dementia]

Or better still NML Cygni although it is a hell of a journey!

 

[777Driver]

Or better still NML Cygni although it is a hell of a journey!

Is that correct? Can't seem to find it.

Cheers

 

[remosito]

It is approx. 2 million solar masses and its radius should reach Jupiters orbit.

where did you get that from?

wikipedia claims 7.7-20 Solar Masses : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betelgeuse

 

[kile]

It is approx. 2 million solar masses and its radius should reach Jupiters orbit.

Only supermassive black holes have that kind of mass. Starts max out at around 100-120 solar masses.