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SCIENCE
Physical - Astronomy
Largest Stars by Mass
This list features the largest stars in space by mass. Mass is calculated from hydrogen abundance and luminosity, making it only an estimate and therefore unreliable.
RANK | STAR | SOLAR MASS | DISTANCE (light years) | LOCATION | CONSTELLATION |
1 | BAT99-98 | 226 | 165,000 | Tarantula Nebula | Dorado |
2 | R136a1 | 196±34 | 163,000 | Tarantula Nebula | Dorado |
3 | Melnick 42 | 189 | 163,000 | Tarantula Nebula | Dorado |
4 | VFTS 1022 | 178 | 164,000 | Tarantula Nebula | Dorado |
5 | Westerhout 51-57 | 160 | 20,000 | Westerhout 51 | Aquila |
6 | R136a3 | 155 | 163,000 | Tarantula Nebula | Dorado |
7 | VFTS 682 | 153 | 164,000 | Tarantula Nebula | Dorado |
8 | HD 15558 A | 152±51 | 24,400 | IC 1805 | Cassiopeia |
9 | R136a2 | 151 | 163,000 | Tarantula Nebula | Dorado |
10 | Westerhout 51-3 | 148±105 | 20,000 | Westerhout 51 | Aquila |
References
Wikipedia (n.d.) List of most massive stars. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_massive_stars#List_of_the_most_massive_known_stars [Accessed 1 December 2025].
SIMBAD (n.d.) BAT99 98. Available at: https://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=BAT99+98 [Accessed 1 December 2025].
SIMBAD (n.d.) RMC136a1. Available at: https://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=RMC136a1 [Accessed 1 December 2025].
SIMBAD (n.d.) Cl NGC 2070 MEL 42. Available at: https://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=Cl*+NGC+2070+MEL+42 [Accessed 1 December 2025].
SIMBAD (n.d.) VFTS 1022. Available at: https://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=VFTS+1022 [Accessed 1 December 2025].
SIMBAD (n.d.) RMC136a3. Available at: https://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=RMC136a3 [Accessed 1 December 2025].
SIMBAD (n.d.) VFTS 682. Available at: https://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=VFTS+682 [Accessed 1 December 2025].
SIMBAD (n.d.) HD 15558. Available at: https://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=HD+15558 [Accessed 1 December 2025].
SIMBAD (n.d.) RMC136a2. Available at: https://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=RMC136a2 [Accessed 1 December 2025].
SIMBAD (n.d.) 2MASS J19234283+1430277. Available at: https://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=2MASS+J19234283%2B1430277 [Accessed 1 December 2025].
Hainich, R., Rühling, U., Todt, H., Oskinova, L.M., Liermann, A., Gräfener, G. et al. (2014) The Wolf-Rayet stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud. A comprehensive analysis of the WN class. Astronomy & Astrophysics, 565: A27. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201322696 [Accessed 1 December 2025].
Doran, E.I., Crowther, P.A., de Koter, A., Evans, C.J., McEvoy, C., Walborn, N.R. et al. (2013) The VLT-FLAMES Tarantula Survey: XI. A census of the hot luminous stars and their feedback in 30 Doradus. Astronomy & Astrophysics, 558: A134. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201321824 [Accessed 1 December 2025].
Bestenlehner, J.M., Crowther, P.A., Caballero-Nieves, S.M., Schneider, F.R.N., Simón-Díaz, S., Brands, S.A., de Koter, A., Gräfener, G., Herrero, A., Langer, N. and Lennon, D.J. (2020) The R136 star cluster dissected with Hubble Space Telescope / STIS - II. Physical properties of the most massive stars in R136. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 499(2): 1918–1936. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa2801 [Accessed 1 December 2025].
Kalari, V.M., Horch, E.P., Salinas, R., Vink, J.S., Andersen, M., Bestenlehner, J.M. and Rubio, M. (2022) Resolving the core of R136 in the optical. The Astrophysical Journal, 935(2): 162. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ac8424 [Accessed 1 December 2025].
Bestenlehner, J.M., Gräfener, G., Vink, J.S., Najarro, F., de Koter, A., Sana, H. et al. (2014) The VLT-FLAMES Tarantula Survey: XVII. Physical and wind properties of massive stars at the top of the main sequence. Astronomy & Astrophysics, 570: A38. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201423643 [Accessed 1 December 2025].
Bik, A., Henning, T., Wu, S.-W., Zhang, M., Brandner, W., Pasquali, A. and Stolte, A. (2019) Near-infrared spectroscopy of the massive stellar population of W51: evidence for multi-seeded star formation. Astronomy & Astrophysics, 624: A63. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201935061 [Accessed 1 December 2025].
Bagnulo, S., Wade, G.A., Nazé, Y., Grunhut, J.H., Shultz, M.E., Asher, D.J. et al. (2020) A search for strong magnetic fields in massive and very massive stars in the Magellanic Clouds. Astronomy & Astrophysics, 635: A163. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201937098 [Accessed 1 December 2025].
De Becker, M., Rauw, G., Manfroid, J. and Eenens, P. (2006) Early-type stars in the young open cluster IC 1805: II. The probably single stars HD 15570 and HD 15629, and the massive binary/triple system HD 15558. Astronomy & Astrophysics, 456(3): 1121–1130. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20065300 [Accessed 1 December 2025].
Ducati, J.R. (2002) VizieR Online Data Catalog: Catalogue of Stellar Photometry in Johnson's 11-color system. Collection of Electronic Catalogues, Vol. 2237. Available at: https://vizier.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/VizieR?-source=2237 [Accessed 1 December 2025].
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