The brightest star in our universe is R136a1, located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. It has a luminosity of approximately 10 million times that of our Sun, making it the most luminous star known.
Other notable bright stars include:
1. RW Cephei: 265,000 times brighter than our Sun
2. VY Canis Majoris: 100,000 times brighter than our Sun
3. UY Scuti: 50,000 times brighter than our Sun
4. VX Sagittarii: 30,000 times brighter than our Sun
5. Deneb: 20,000 times brighter than our Sun
Note that the brightness of stars can vary depending on their distance from us and interstellar dust and gas that may absorb or scatter their light.
R136a1 is a Wolf-Rayet star, a type of massive, luminous star that is nearing the end of its life. Its extreme brightness is due to its large mass and intense nuclear reactions in its core.
