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Rigel facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Orion constellation map
Rigel is the lower right star in the rectangle of bright stars in Orion.

Rigel is a hot supergiant star in the Milky Way Galaxy. It is classified as a blue supergiant. It is located in the constellation Orion. Many scientists believe that Rigel was the youngest star even if it is the same size with the biggest star, Betelgeuse. Rigel is much bigger than our star here in the solar system, the Sun. Rigel lies 778 light-years from Earth in Orion. It is visible from Earth as a small, bluish circle on clear nights from both hemispheres.

Fate

The color of this star is bluish-white, hotter than a star with a yellow color, meaning it will use more energy quickly. The Sun runs off the same gases as Rigel; hydrogen and helium that makes it shine. When Rigel loses its fuel inside the very hot core, it will blow up into the red supergiant stage of its life and explode in a supernova. A black hole or a pulsar could be left.

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See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Rigel para niños

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