# What is the most massive star?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-massive-star/648241>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 24, 2013, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-massive-star/648241 "2013-01-24T19:00:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sweeteviljesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2013, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-massive-star/648241/1 "2013-01-24T19:00:08Z")

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What is the most massive star that we observe that isn’t a black hole or a stellar remnant?

Thanks,  
Rob

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**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2013, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-massive-star/648241/2 "2013-01-24T19:08:32Z")

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Try this page;

> **[List of most massive stars](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_massive_stars)**
>
> This is a list of the most massive stars that have been discovered, in solar masses (M☉).
> Most of the masses listed below are contested and, being the subject of current research, remain under review and subject to constant revision of their masses and other characteristics. Indeed, many of the masses listed in the table below are inferred from theory, using difficult measurements of the stars' temperatures and absolute brightnesses. All the masses listed below are uncertain: Both the theory ...

don’t forget to read the caveat on that page - some, many, or most of these stars might be very close doubles.

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**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2013, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-massive-star/648241/3 "2013-01-24T19:11:31Z")

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In particular see this star in the Large Magellanic Cloud  
[R136a1](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R136a1)