Mu Cephei -The Garnet Star.

 

Mu Cephei, Red Hyper-giant star in the  constellation Cepheus. Image Credit: Pip Stakkert at the JPO. Data Credit: PIRATE robotic telescope, Tenerife. Open Observatories, Open University, telescope.org.

" Mu Cephei also known as 'The Garnet Star' and discovered by William Herschel in 1783, is high over the JPO at the moment. We hope, at some point, to use one of our many spectrometers to capture its interesting spectrum (Spectral Class M2 la)

The star has a radius roughly 1500 times the radius of our Sun. If it were to take the place of the Sun, its surface would extend to somewhere between the orbits of Mars and Saturn.

It is only 10 million years old but because of its size, it has used all of its non metal fuse-able fuel. It will at some point relatively soon, lose the battle with gravity and implode as a core collapse supernova to end its days as a Black Hole.

Thankfully, 'The Garnet Star' is a very long way from Earth at an estimated distance between 2400 and 2900 light years! We will be quite safe!

". -Kurt Thrust current Director of the Jodrell Plank Observatory.