Is Betelgeuse the largest star in the Milkyway Galaxy?
No, the most massive star in the Milky Way is the Pistol Star, estimated to be around 200 solar masses. This star might not be the largest in diameter, but it has more mass than any other normal star we know. The Pistol Star gives off energy equivalent to 10 million suns. The Pistol Star is about the size of the Earth’s orbit around the Sun—186 million miles in diameter—and releases more energy in six seconds than our Sun does in a year. The Pistol Star is throwing off so much mass that it has created the surrounding Pistol Nebula.
