V602 Carinae
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V602 Carinae (V602 Car, HD 97671) is a red supergiant or hypergiant variable star of spectral type M3 in the constellation Carina. It is considered to be one of largest known stars, being around 1,000 times larger than the Sun.
Variability
V602 Car is a semiregular variable star with a maximum brightness range of magnitude 7.6 - 9.1 and a period of 635 or 672 days. Despite the large amplitude of variation, it was only named as a variable star in 2006.
Properties
V602 Carinae is a red supergiant with a spectral type given in the General Catalogue of Variable Stars as M3Ia+, suggesting the star is a hypergiant or an extremely luminous supergiant. It has been defined as a standard star for the MK spectral classification of M3Ia-Iab, which suggests the star is an intermediate-luminosity supergiant.
In 2005, V602 Car was calculated to have a bolometric luminosity below 110,000 L☉ and a radius around 860 R☉ based on the assumption of an effective temperature of 3,550 K. A 2015 study derived a slightly higher bolometric luminosity of 138,000+66,000 −45,000 L☉ based on the measured flux and an assumed distance, and a larger radius of 1,050±165 R☉ based on the measured angular diameter and luminosity. An effective temperature of 3,432±280 K was then calculated from the luminosity and radius. A more recent measurement based on a Gaia Data Release 2 parallax of 0.4366±0.0698 mas gives a luminosity at 125,000–131,000 L☉ with a corresponding radius of 932 R☉ based on the same effective temperature derived in 2005. The radius was measured again in 2024 at 1,015 R☉.
V602 Car has an estimated mass loss rate of 1×10−5 M☉ per year. An excess of emission at long wavelengths from this star, as well as a small amount of silicate emission, suggests that it may be enclosed by an extensive cloud of dust.