It’s called HR 5171 A, and located 12,000 light-years from Earth in the center of a new image released March 12. The star is more than 1,300 times the diameter of the sun and much larger than scientists expected after earlier observations. According to ESO, “HR 5171 A is 50% larger than the red supergiant Betelgeuse, the star that makes up one of the constellation Orion’s shoulders. Continue reading for a video and more information.

Mashable reports, “The new measurements place the star as one of the top 10 largest stars ever discovered. Scientists using ESO’s Very Large Telescope Interferometer to observe the star got another surprise as well. HR 5171 A is actually part of a double star system, with its companion orbiting extremely close to the hypergiant.”

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