# List of star extremes

A star is a massive luminous spheroid astronomical object made of plasma that is held together by its own gravity. Stars exhibit great diversity in their properties (such as mass, volume, velocity, stage in stellar evolution, and distance from Earth) and some of the outliers are so disproportionate in comparison with the general population that they are considered extreme. This is a list of such stars.
Records that are regarded as authoritative and unlikely to change at any given point are recorded on a white background, while those that could change with new information and/or discoveries are recorded on a grey background.

## Age and distance

| Title | Object | Date | Data | Comments | Notes | Refs | See more |
| Nearest star | Sun | 3rd century BC | 1 AU | Our local star's distance was first determined in the 3rd century BC by Aristarchus of Samos. | Reported for reference | | |
| Second-nearest star | Proxima Centauri | 1915 | 1.30 pc | Also called Alpha Centauri C, it is the outlying star in a trinary star system that includes Alpha Centauri A (Rigil Kentaurus) and Alpha Centauri B (Toliman). This is currently the nearest known neighbouring star to our own Sun. This star was discovered in 1915, and its parallax was determined at the time, when enough observations were established. | | | List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs |
| Most distant individually seen star | WHL0137-LS (Earendel) | 2022 | z= 6.2 ± 0.1 12.9 Gly | | | | List of the most distant astronomical objects |
| Most distant star | Stars in JADES-GS-z14-0 | 2024 | z= 13.27 13.6 Gly (light travel distance) 34 Gly (proper distance) | | | | List of the most distant astronomical objects |
| Most distant star gravitationally bound to Milky Way galaxy | ULAS J0015+01 | 2014 | 900,000 light-years | Located in the Milky Way's extreme outer halo, far beyond the galactic disc. | | | |
| Oldest star | 2MASS J18082002−5104378 | 2018 | 13.53 billion years | | | | List of oldest stars |
| Youngest | Stars are being formed constantly in the universe so it is impossible to tell which star is the youngest. For information on the properties of newly formed stars, see Protostar, Young stellar object and Star formation. | Stars are being formed constantly in the universe so it is impossible to tell which star is the youngest. For information on the properties of newly formed stars, see Protostar, Young stellar object and Star formation. | Stars are being formed constantly in the universe so it is impossible to tell which star is the youngest. For information on the properties of newly formed stars, see Protostar, Young stellar object and Star formation. | Stars are being formed constantly in the universe so it is impossible to tell which star is the youngest. For information on the properties of newly formed stars, see Protostar, Young stellar object and Star formation. | Stars are being formed constantly in the universe so it is impossible to tell which star is the youngest. For information on the properties of newly formed stars, see Protostar, Young stellar object and Star formation. | Stars are being formed constantly in the universe so it is impossible to tell which star is the youngest. For information on the properties of newly formed stars, see Protostar, Young stellar object and Star formation. | Stars are being formed constantly in the universe so it is impossible to tell which star is the youngest. For information on the properties of newly formed stars, see Protostar, Young stellar object and Star formation. |
Nearest stars by type :
| Title | Object | Date | Data | Comments | See more |
| Nearest extrasolar star | Proxima Centauri (Alpha Centauri C) | 1915 | 1.30 parsecs (4.2 ly) | Before Proxima, the title had been held by Alpha Centauri A & B. | |
| Nearest red dwarf | Proxima Centauri (Alpha Centauri C) | 1915 | 1.30 parsecs (4.2 ly) | Before Proxima, the title had been held by Barnard's Star | |
| Nearest degenerate star | Sirius B | 1852 | 8.6 light-years (2.6 pc) | This is also the nearest white dwarf. | |
| Nearest subdwarf | Kapteyn's Star | 1898 | 12.83 light-years (3.93 pc) | Kapteyn's star is either a sdM1 subdwarf or a M1.5V main-sequence star. WISEA 1810−1010 is the nearest undisputed subdwarf, at 29.03 light-years (8.90 pc). | |
| Nearest borderline subgiant | Procyon | | 11.5 light-years (3.5 pc) | All stars closer to the Sun are main sequence, degenerate stars or brown dwarfs. | |
| Nearest undisputed subgiant | Delta Pavonis | | 19.9 light-years (6.1 pc) | A subgiant, but only slightly brighter than the Sun. | |
| Nearest "true" giant star | Pollux | | 33.8 light-years (10.4 pc) | | List of nearest giant stars |
| Nearest red giant | Arcturus | | 36.7 light-years (11.3 pc) | | List of nearest giant stars |
| Nearest supergiant | Canopus | | 309 light-years (95 pc) | While it is frequently described as a yellow supergiant, especially in evolutionary terms, it is classified as a bright giant based on spectrum. | List of nearest supergiants |
| Nearest hypergiant | μ Cephei (Herschel's Garnet Star) | | 3,060 light-years (940 pc) | | |
| Nearest carbon star | CW Leonis | | 310 light-years (95 pc) | | |
| Nearest M-type star | Proxima Centauri | 1915 | 1.30 parsecs (4.2 ly) | | List of nearest M-type stars |
| Nearest K-type star | Alpha Centauri B | | 1.33 parsecs (4.3 ly) | | List of nearest K-type stars |
| Neraest G-type star | Sun | | 1 AU | | List of nearest G-type stars |
| Nearest F-type star | Procyon | | 11.46 light-years (3.51 pc) | | List of nearest F-type stars |
| Nearest A-type star | Sirius | | 8.6 light-years (2.6 pc) | | List of nearest A-type stars |
| Nearest B-type star | Regulus | | 79.3 light-years (24.3 pc) | | List of nearest B-type stars |
| Nearest O-type star | Zeta Ophiuchi | | 420 light-years (130 pc) | | List of nearest O-type stars |
| Nearest Wolf–Rayet star | Gamma Velorum | | 1,080 light-years (330 pc) | | |
| Nearest neutron star | RX J1856.35-3754 | 2000 | 400 light-years (120 pc) | | |
| Nearest white dwarf | Sirius B | 1852 | 8.6 light-years (2.6 pc) | Sirius B is also the second white dwarf discovered, after 40 Eridani B. | |
| Nearest brown dwarf | Luhman 16 | 2013 | 6.5 light-years (2.0 pc) | This is a pair of brown dwarfs in a binary system, with no other stars. | |
| Nearest luminous blue variable | P Cygni | | 5,251 light-years (1,610 pc) | | |

## Brightness and power

| Title | Object | Date | Data | Comments | Notes | See more |
| Brightest star from the Earth: Apparent magnitude | Sun | prehistoric | m=−26.74 | | Reported for reference | |
| Brightest star other than the Sun | Sirius (Alpha Canis Majoris) | prehistoric | m= −1.46 | See also: Historical brightest stars | | List of brightest stars |
| Dimmest star from the Earth | UDF 2457 | | m= 25 | | | |
| Brightest star in a transient event | Progenitor of SN 1006 | 1006 | m= −7.5 | This was a supernova, and its remnant (SNR) is catalogued as PKS 1459-41 | | |
| Most luminous star | LGGS J004246.86+413336.4 | 2022 | L= 19,953,000 L$_{Sun}$ | | | List of most luminous stars |
| Least luminous star | 2MASS J0523−1403 | 2013 | L=0.000126L$_{Sun}$ | | | |
| Most luminous star in a transient event | Progenitor of GRB 080916C | 2008 | V=−40 | The star exploded in a gamma-ray burst with the total energy equal to 9,000 supernovae | | List of gamma-ray bursts |
| Most energetic star | R136a1 | 2010 | B=-12.5 | | | List of most luminous stars |
| Most energetic star in a transient event | Progenitor of GRB 080916C | 2008 | | | | |
| Hottest star | WR 102 | | T= 200,000 K (200,000 °C; 360,000 °F) | | | List of hottest stars |
| Coolest star | S Cassiopeiae | | T= 1,800 K (1,530 °C; 2,780 °F) | | | List of coolest stars |
| Title | Object | Date | Data | Comments |
| Hottest white dwarf | RX J0439.8-6809 | 2015 | 250,000 K (450,000 °F) | |
| Hottest neutron star | PSR B0943+10 | | 3,100,000 K (5,580,000 °F) | Blackbody temperature of a small emitting area at the poles. |
| Hottest brown dwarf | ZTF J1406+1222 B | 2022 | 10,462 K (10,189 °C; 18,372 °F) | |
| Coolest neutron star | | | | |
| Coolest white dwarf | PSR J2222−0137 B | 2014 | <3,000 K (2,730 °C; 4,940 °F) | |
| Coolest brown dwarf | WISE 0855−0714 | 2014 | 285 K (12 °C; 53 °F) | |

## Size and mass

| Title | Object | Date | Data | Comments | Notes | See more |
| Largest apparent size star | Sun | prehistoric (3rd century BC) | 31.6′ – 32.7′ | The apparent size of the Sun was first measured by Eratosthenes in the 3rd century BC, who was the second person to measure the distance to the Sun. However, Thales of Miletus provided a measurement for the real size of the Sun in the 6th century BC, as 1⁄720 the great circle of the Sun (the orbit of the Earth) | Reported for reference | |
| Largest extrasolar apparent size star | R Doradus | 1997 | 0.057" | This replaced Betelgeuse as the largest, Betelgeuse having been the first star other than the Sun to have its apparent size measured. | | |
| Smallest apparent size star | Most distant stars to Earth | Most distant stars to Earth | Most distant stars to Earth | Most distant stars to Earth | | |
| Largest star | RSGC1-F01 HV 888 VY Canis Majoris AH Scorpii VX Sagittarii | 2024 | Respective radii: 1,530 ± 370 R$_☉$ 1,477—1,584 R$_☉$ 1,420±120 R$_☉$ 1,411±124 R$_☉$ 1,360—1,480 R$_☉$ | Five stars technically tied, within the error bars. WOH G64 was the previous candidate but was later found to be a smaller yellow hypergiant. | | List of largest known stars |
| Smallest star | SGR J1935+2154 | 2024 | radius = 4.35+1.95 −1.35 km(6.25×10$^{−6}$ R$_☉$) | | | List of smallest stars |
| Smallest main sequence star | EBLM J0555-57Ab | 2017 | 0.0844+0.0131 −0.0060 R$_☉$ | | | List of smallest stars |
| Most massive star | BAT99-98 or R136a1 | 2022, 2014 | 226 M$_☉$, 196+34 −27 M$_☉$ | This exceeds the predicted limit of 150 M$_☉$, previously believed to be the limit of stellar mass, according to the leading star formation theories. R136a1 considered the most massive known by the scientific community. | | List of most massive stars |
| Least massive star | DENIS J1048−3956 | | 0.075 M$_☉$ | | | List of least massive stars |
Most massive stars by type :
| Title | Object | Date | Data | Comments | Notes | Refs | See more |
| Most massive brown dwarf | Lup 607 | 2021 | 105 M$_{Jupiter}$ | This is at the limit between brown dwarfs and red dwarfs. | | | |
| Most massive degenerate star | The most massive type of degenerate star is the neutron star. See Most massive neutron star for this recordholder. | The most massive type of degenerate star is the neutron star. See Most massive neutron star for this recordholder. | The most massive type of degenerate star is the neutron star. See Most massive neutron star for this recordholder. | The most massive type of degenerate star is the neutron star. See Most massive neutron star for this recordholder. | The most massive type of degenerate star is the neutron star. See Most massive neutron star for this recordholder. | The most massive type of degenerate star is the neutron star. See Most massive neutron star for this recordholder. | The most massive type of degenerate star is the neutron star. See Most massive neutron star for this recordholder. |
| Most massive neutron star | PSR J0740+6620 | 2019 | 2.14 M$_☉$ | Several candidates exist which have a higher mass, however their mass has been measured by less precise methods and as such their mass value is regarded as less certain. | | | List of most massive neutron stars |
| Most massive neutron star (disputed) | PSR J1748-2021B | 2015 | 2.548 M$_☉$ | | | | List of most massive neutron stars |
| Most massive white dwarf | RE J0317-853/ZTF J1901+1458 | 1998/2020 | 1.35 M$_{Sun}$ | | | | |
Least massive stars by type :
| Title | Object | Date | Data | Comments | See more |
| Least massive star | DENIS J1048−3956 | | 0.075 M$_☉$ | | List of least massive stars |
| Least massive neutron star | HESS J1731-347 | 2022 | 0.77 M$_☉$ | | |
| Least massive white dwarf | NLTT 11748 | 2021 | 0.13–0.16 M$_☉$ | | |
| Least massive brown dwarf | (unnamed) | 2023 | 3 – 4 M$_J$ | Located in the star cluster IC 348 | Sub-brown dwarf |

## Motion

| Title | Object | Date | Data | Comments |
| Highest proper motion | Barnard's Star | | 10.3 "/yr | This is also the fourth closest star to the Solar System. |
| Lowest proper motion | N/A | N/A | ~0 "/yr | Billions of stars on the other end of the galaxy |
| Highest radial velocity | | | | |
| Lowest radial velocity | EY Aquarii | 2013 | -870 km/s | Mira variable |
| Highest peculiar motion | | | | |
| Lowest peculiar motion | | | | |
| Highest rotational speed of a normal star | VFTS 102 | 2013 | 600 km/s | |
| Lowest rotational speed | | | | |
| Fastest velocity of a star | S5-HVS1 | 2019 | 1,755 km/s | |

## Star systems

| Title | Object | Date | Data | Comments | Notes | Refs | See more |
| Least stars in a star system | There are many single star systems. | There are many single star systems. | There are many single star systems. | There are many single star systems. | There are many single star systems. | There are many single star systems. | There are many single star systems. |
| Most stars in a star system | QZ Carinae | | Nonuple star system | System contains at least nine stars. | | | |
| Stars in the closest orbit around one another | There are many stars that are in contact binary systems (where two or more stars are in physical contact with each other). | There are many stars that are in contact binary systems (where two or more stars are in physical contact with each other). | There are many stars that are in contact binary systems (where two or more stars are in physical contact with each other). | There are many stars that are in contact binary systems (where two or more stars are in physical contact with each other). | There are many stars that are in contact binary systems (where two or more stars are in physical contact with each other). | There are many stars that are in contact binary systems (where two or more stars are in physical contact with each other). | There are many stars that are in contact binary systems (where two or more stars are in physical contact with each other). |
| Stars in the most distant orbit around one another | Regulus/SDSS J1007+1930 | 2024 | ~3.9 parsecs (13 ly) | | | | |
| Nearest multiple star system | Alpha Centauri | 1839 | 1.30 parsecs (4.2 ly) | This was one of the first three stars to have its distance measured. | | | |
| Nearest solitary star | Barnard's Star | 1916 | 1.83 parsecs (6.0 ly) | | | | |
| Nearest binary star system | Luhman 16 | 2013 | 1.998 parsecs (6.52 ly) | Brown dwarf binary system. The nearest non-brown dwarf binary is Sirius, and the nearest composed entirely of main-sequence stars is Luyten 726-8. | | | |
| Nearest trinary star system | Alpha Centauri | 1839 | 1.38 parsecs (4.5 ly) | Also nearest multiple star system, and nearest star system of any type | | | |
| Nearest quaternary star system | Gliese 570 | | 5.88 parsecs (19.2 ly) | K4 star orbited by a pair of M stars, all orbited by a T7 brown dwarf. | | | |
| Nearest quintenary star system | V1054 Ophiuchi | | 6.46 parsecs (21.1 ly) | M3 star orbited by a pair of pair of M4 stars, together orbited by an M3.5 star, all orbited by an M7 star. | | | |
| Nearest sextenary star system | Castor | 1718 | 15.6 parsecs (51 ly) | A1 star orbited by a red dwarf, both orbited by another A star orbited by a red dwarf, all orbited by two red dwarfs orbiting each other. | | | |
| Nearest septenary star system | Nu Scorpii | | 150 parsecs (490 ly) | A B3V star orbited by an unknown-type star, both orbited by another unknown star, together orbited by another unknown star, all orbited by a B9III star orbiting a pair of stars which are a B9III and unknown star. | | | |