Did you know that the largest known star in the universe is UY Scuti? Located around 9,500 light-years away in the constellation of Scutum, UY Scuti is a red supergiant star with a radius over 1,700 times larger than the Sun. To put it into perspective, if UY Scuti were placed at the center of our solar system, it would extend past the orbit of Jupiter! Despite its immense size, UY Scuti is not the most massive star known to astronomers. That title belongs to R136a1, a star in the Tarantula Nebula that is estimated to be around 265 times the mass of the Sun. However, UY Scuti holds the record for the largest known volume, making it a fascinating object of study for astronomers. Due to its massive size and luminosity, UY Scuti is classified as a hypergiant star. These supergiant stars are extremely rare and short-lived in the grand scheme of the universe. Although UY Scuti is not visible to the naked eye from Earth, it serves as a reminder of the incredible diversity and vastness of the cosmos. Next time you gaze up at the night sky, take a moment to appreciate the awe-inspiring scale of the largest known star in the universe, UY Scuti. So much remains yet to be discovered in the vast expanse of space, making astronomy a field of endless fascination and wonder.