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 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 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. Other than the Sun "Innes' Sterne bei α Centauri", Astronomische Nachrichten, volume 206, 1918 Harold L. Aden, "Alpha and Proxima Centauri", Astronomical Journal, vol. 39, issue 913, 1918 List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs Most distant individually seen star WHL0137-LS (Earendel) 2022 z= 6.2 ± 0.1 12.9 Gly Most likely a star cluster. List of most distant stars Most distant galaxy Stars in MoM-z14 2025 z= 14.44 13.53 Gly (light travel 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 HD 140283 2025 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.

+ Nearest stars by type Title Object Date Data Comments Notes Refs See more Nearest extrasolar starProxima Centauri (Alpha Centauri C)1915Before Proxima, the title had been held by Alpha Centauri A & B.Fraser Cain (13 November 2009), "How Far is the Nearest Star?", Universe Today (accessed 2010-11-02) Nearest red dwarfBefore Proxima, the title had been held by Barnard's Star. Nearest degenerate star Sirius B 1852 This is also the nearest white dwarf. Not including stellar-mass black holes or exotic stars Nearest subdwarfKapteyn's Star1898Kapteyn's Star is either a sdM1 subdwarf or a M1.5V main-sequence star. WISEA 1810−1010 is the nearest undisputed subdwarf, at . Nearest subgiant Procyon All stars closer to the Sun are main sequence, degenerate stars or brown dwarfs. Nearest giant star Pollux Nearest supergiant CanopusWhile it is frequently described as a yellow supergiant, especially in evolutionary terms, it is classified as a bright giant based on spectrum.Nearest hypergiantμ Cephei (Garnet Star)Nearest carbon starCW LeonisNearest M-type starProxima Centauri1915List of nearest M-type starsNearest K-type starAlpha Centauri BList of nearest K-type starsNearest G-type starSun1 AUList of nearest G-type stars Nearest F-type star ProcyonList of nearest F-type stars Nearest A-type star Sirius List of nearest A-type stars Nearest B-type star Regulus List of nearest B-type stars Nearest O-type star Zeta Ophiuchi List of nearest O-type stars Nearest Wolf–Rayet star Gamma Velorum Nearest neutron star RX J1856.35-3754 2000 NASA Images, "Hubble Sees Bare Neutron Star Streaking Across Space" , NASA, 9 November 2000 (accessed 2010-11-01)RedOrbit, "The Motion of RX J185635-3754 - The Nearest Neutron Star to Earth", 8 February 2005 (accessed 2010-11-01)Astronomy 122: Astronomy of Stars and Galaxies, "Lecture 19: Neutron Stars", Sharon Morsink, University of Alberta, term:Winter 2011, published:2010 (accessed 2010-11-01) Nearest white dwarf Sirius B 1852 Sirius B is also the second white dwarf discovered, after 40 Eridani B. Richard Powell (30 July 2006), "The Universe within 12.5 Light Years: The Nearest Stars", Atlas of the Universe (accessed 2010-11-01)Christine McGourty (14 December 2005), "Hubble finds mass of white dwarf", BBC News (accessed 2010-11-01)E. Schatzman, White Dwarfs, Amsterdam: North-Holland, 1958, p. 1 Nearest brown dwarf 2013 This is a pair of brown dwarfs in a binary system, with no other stars. Barbara K. Kennedy (12 March 2013), "The Closest Star System Found in a Century", SpaceDaily Nearest luminous blue variableP Cygni

Brightness and power

Title Object Date Data Comments Notes Refs See more Brightest star from the Earth: Apparent magnitude Sun prehistoric Reported for reference By visual magnitude (m)This is the appearance in the sky from Earth. Brightest star other than the Sun Sirius (Alpha Canis Majoris) prehistoric m= −1.46 This does not include brightest stars due to outbursts 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. NOAO, "Astronomers Peg Brightness of History's Brightest Star", 5 March 2003 (accessed 2010-10-25) Most luminous star LGGS J004246.86+413336.4 2022 L= 19,953,000 LSun List of most luminous stars Least luminous star 2MASS J0523−1403 2013 L=0.000126LSun Most luminous star in a transient event Progenitor of GRB 080916C 2008 The star exploded in a gamma-ray burst with the total energy equal to 9,000 supernovae. Luminosity here represents how bright a star is if all stars were equally far away, in visible light. List of gamma-ray bursts Most energetic star R136a1 2010 Energetic here is the total electromagnetic energy emitted by a star in all wavelengths. List of most luminous stars Most energetic star in a transient event Progenitor of GRB 080916C 2008 Hottest starWR 102 T= List of hottest stars Coolest starS Cassiopeiae T= List of coolest stars

Title Object Date Data Comments Notes Refs See more Hottest white dwarf RX J0439.8-6809 2015 Hottest neutron starPSR B0943+10Blackbody temperature of a small emitting area at the poles Hottest brown dwarfZTF J1406+1222 B2022Coolest neutron starCoolest white dwarfPSR J2222−0137 B2014< Coolest brown dwarf WISE 0855−0714 2014 List of coolest stars

Size and mass Title Object Date Data Comments Notes Refs See more Largest apparent size star Sun prehistoric 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 the great circle of the Sun (the orbit of the Earth).Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, "Thales of Miletus (c. 620 BC – c. 546 BC)", Patricia O'Grady, 17 September 2004 (accessed 2010-10-25) 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. ESO, "The Biggest Star in the Sky", 11 March 1997 (accessed 2010-10-25) Smallest apparent size star Most distant stars to Earth Largest star2026 List of largest starsSmallest starSGR J1935+21542024 () List of smallest starsSmallest normal starBE Ursae Majoris A2008A normal star is a star that is past its protostar period, in its main fusion period, before becoming a degenerate star, black hole, or post-stellar nebula, and is not a failed star (brown dwarf). Most massive star R136a1 2025 This exceeds the predicted limit of , 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 2MASS J0523−1403 2021 A normal star is a star that is past its protostar period, in its main fusion period, before becoming a degenerate star, black hole, or post-stellar nebula, and is not a failed star (brown dwarf). List of least massive stars

+ Most massive stars by type Title Object Date Data Comments Notes Refs See more Most massive brown dwarfLup 607 2021 105 MJupiter This is at the limit between brown dwarfs and red dwarfs.Astronomical Society of the Pacific Conference Series, 'In Cool Stars, Stellar Systems, and the Sun: Ninth Cambridge Workshop', "An I. K Survey of the Pleiades", Jameson, R. F.; Hodgkin, S. T.; Pinfield, D. J., vol. 109, p. 363, eds. R. Pallavicini, A. K. Dupree, 1996, Most massive degenerate star 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 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 starsMost massive neutron star (disputed)PSR J1748-2021B2015 Most massive white dwarf RE J0317-853/ZTF J1901+1458 1998/2020 1.35 MSun Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, "The Record Breaking Magnetic White Dwarf RE J0317-853", Burleigh, M. R.; Jordan, S., Vol. 29, p.1234, January 1998, Wolfram Scienceworld, "White Dwarf", Eric W. Weisstein, 2007 (accessed 2010-30-10)

+ Least massive stars by type Title Object Date Data Comments Notes Refs See moreLeast massive neutron starHESS J1731-3472022 Least massive white dwarf NLTT 11748 2021 Least massive brown dwarf (unnamed) 2023 3 – 4  Located in the star cluster IC 348 Sub-brown dwarf

Motion Title Object Date Data Comments Notes Refs See more Highest proper motion Barnard's Star 10.3 "/yr This is also the fourth closest star to the Solar System. Hayden Planetarium, "Stellar Orbits" , Sébastien Lépine, Brian Abbott (accessed 2010-11-20)Ohio State University, Astronomy 143: The History of the Universe (Fall 2009); "Stars and Galaxies in Motion" , Barbara Sue Ryden, 15 October 2009 (accessed 2010-11-20) Lowest proper motion N/A N/A ~0 "/yrBillions of stars on the other end of the galaxy Highest radial velocity Lowest radial velocity EY Aquarii 2013 -870 km/s Mira variable Stars with particularly high radial velocities are usually erroneously recorded, so all large values should be taken with a grain of salt. 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. Most stars in a star system