Astronomers never cease to delight us with new discoveries, finding more and more stars in the Universe. Some of them can be seen at night with the naked eye, just by looking at the night sky. In order to see others, the most powerful telescopes are required. What is the largest star in the universe? Where is it located and how is it different from its neighbors? We invite you to familiarize yourself with the rating of the largest stars that have already been discovered by astronomers in the universe.
AH Scorpio
This is a real red giant, which is located in the region of the constellation Scorpio at a distance of 12 thousand light years relative to our planet. Its radius exceeds the radius of the Sun by 1.5 thousand times.
KY Swan
This star, which is located in the constellation Cygnus, will have to fly from the Earth as much as 5 thousand light years. Comparing the radius of the planet with the Sun, we can say that its radius is equal to 1420 solar radii. But the mass of the planet is not so large - it is only 25 times heavier than our star. It could illuminate much more than the Sun, since the brightness of KY Cygnus exceeds the solar one by many millions of times, so it can quite win in the “Brightest” nomination.
VV Cephei A
This double is located in the constellation of the same name, the distance to which is about 5000 light years. It is recognized as one of the largest in its galaxy, second only to VY Canis Major. Estimating the radius along the equator of this star, we can say that it is equal to 1900 equatorial radii of our star.
VY Big Dog
If we consider the Milky Way, then it was this star that became its champion, with a radius exceeding the size of the Sun by more than 1540 times. According to astronomers, this star is very unstable and there is an assumption that over the next 100,000 years it will certainly explode, resulting in a gamma-ray burst that can destroy all life that is within 1-2 light years. As for the planet Earth, only a huge distance from our planet to VY Canis Major, which is about 4000 light years, can save it. Therefore, earthlings can be calm.
VX Sagittarius
Scientists note the pulsation of this variable star, as studies have proven a periodic change in its temperature and volume. And its pulsation can be compared with the beating of a human heart. The equatorial radius of VX Sagittarius is equal to 1520 solar. The star is located in the constellation of the same name, from which it got its name.
Westerland 1-26
The numerical value of the radius of this giant exceeds the solar one by 1540 times. From Earth to Westerland 1-26 is about 11,500 light years.
WOH G64
The star WOH G64 is called the red star. It can be found by exploring the constellation, which has the name Golden Fish, which is located in a galaxy called the Large Magellanic Cloud. Our solar system is about 163,000 light-years away. Its radius is 1730 times greater than that of the Sun. According to research, the star will cease to exist, becoming a supernova. However, this will happen no earlier than in 10-20 thousand years. Although during this time a lot of things can change.
RW Cephei
This giant star has a red color and is located at a distance of more than 2700 light years from Earth. Its radius along the equator is 1636 times greater than the radius of the Sun.
NML Cygnus
The star acquired its name based on the name of the constellation, where it was discovered by astronomers. Its radius exceeds the solar one by 1650 times. A distance of 5300 light years separates us from NML Cygnus. Exploring the structure of the planet, scientists found sulfur oxide, hydrogen sulfide and other substances in it.
UY Shield
Scientists agreed that UY Shield is the largest in the entire universe. The record holder is located in the constellation with the same name at a distance of approximately 9.5 thousand light years from us. The star is very bright, but this is prevented by a huge amount of dust and gas around the planet.
People tend to look at the sky, watching millions and millions of stars. We dream of distant worlds and draw images of our brothers in mind. Each world illuminates its own "sun". Research equipment looks deep into space at 9 billion light years.
But even this is not enough to say with accuracy how many stars are in space. At the current stage of the study, about 50 billion are known. This number is steadily growing, as there is constant research, technology is being improved. People learn about new giants and dwarfs in the world of space objects. Which of the stars is the largest in the universe?
Sun Dimensions
Thinking about the dimensions of the stars, understand what to compare with, feel the scale. The size of our Sun is impressive. Its diameter is 1.4 million km. This huge number is hard to imagine. The fact that the mass of the Sun is 99.9% of the mass of all objects in the solar system will help in this. Theoretically, a million planets could fit inside our star.
Using these numbers, astronomers have coined the terms "solar radius" and "solar mass" that are used to compare the sizes and masses of space objects. The radius of the Sun is 690,000 km, and the weight is 2 billion kilograms. Compared to other stars, the Sun is a relatively small cosmic object.
Former All-Star Champion
The stellar mass is constantly "thinning" because of the "stellar wind". Thermonuclear processes, continuously shaking the universal luminaries, lead to the loss of hydrogen - "fuel" for reactions. Accordingly, the mass also decreases. Therefore, it is difficult for scientists to give exact figures regarding the parameters of such large and hot objects. Luminaries age and after a supernova explosion turn into a neutron star or a black hole.
For decades, VY was recognized as the largest star in the constellation Canis Major. Not so long ago, the parameters were specified, and scientists' calculations showed that its radius is 1300-1540 solar radii. The diameter of the giant is 2 billion kilometers, and it is located 5,000 light-years from Earth.
To imagine the dimensions of this object, imagine that it will take 1200 years to fly around it, moving at a speed of 800 km / h. If you suddenly imagine that the Earth was compressed to 1 cm and VY was also reduced, then the giant will be 2.2 km in size.
But the mass of the star is small and exceeds the mass of the Sun only 40 times. This is due to the low density of the substance. The brightness of the light is truly amazing. It emits light 500,000 times brighter than ours. VY was first mentioned in 1801. It was described by the scientist Joseph Jérôme de Lalande. The record says that the luminary belongs to the seventh grade.
Since 1850, observations have shown a gradual loss of brightness. The outer edge of VY began to increase because the forces of gravity no longer hold the mass at a constant level. Soon (by cosmic standards) a supernova explosion of this star is possible. Scientists say it could happen tomorrow or in a million years. Science does not have exact numbers.
Reigning Star Champion
Space exploration continues. In 2010, scientists led by Paul Crowther saw an impressive space object using the Hubble telescope. Exploring the Large Magellanic Cloud, astronomers discovered a new star and gave it the name R136a1. From us to R136a1, the distance is 163,000 light years.
The parameters shocked the scientists. The mass of the giant exceeds the mass of the Sun by 315 times, despite the fact that it was previously stated that there are no stars in space that exceed our Sun in mass by 150 times. Such a phenomenon occurred, according to the hypothesis of scientists, due to the connection of several objects. The brightness of the glow of R136a1 exceeds the brightness of the radiation of our sun by 10 million times.
During the period from discovery to our time, the star has lost one-fifth of its mass, but it is still considered a record holder even among its neighbors. They were also discovered by Crowther's group. These objects also exceeded the milestone of 150 solar masses.
Scientists have calculated that if R136a1 is placed in the solar system, then the brightness of the glow compared to our luminary will be the same as if the brightness of the Sun and the Moon were compared.
This is the largest star known to mankind so far. Surely in the Milky Way galaxy there are dozens, if not hundreds, of larger luminaries, closed from our eyes by gas and dust clouds.
VV Cephei 2. At 2400 light years, VV Cepheus 2 is located, which exceeds the size of the Sun by 1600-1900 times. The radius is 1050 radii of our Sun. In terms of light emission, the star exceeds the landmark from 275 to 575 thousand times. This is a variable pulsar, pulsing with an interval of 150 days. The speed of the cosmic wind directed away from the sun is 25 km/sec.
Sizes of the Sun and Star VV Cephei 2 Studies have proven that VV Cephei 2 is a double star. The eclipse of the second star B occurs regularly every 20 years. VV Cephei B revolves around the main star VV Cephei 2. It is blue and has a rotation period of 20 years. The eclipse lasts 3.6 years. The object surpasses the Sun in mass by 10 times, and by the intensity of the glow - by 100,000 times.
Mu Cephei. Cepheus flaunts a red supergiant, larger than the Sun by 1650 times. Mu Cephei is the brightest star in the Milky Way. The brightness of the glow is 38,000 times higher than the guideline. It is also known as the "garnet star of Herschel". Studying the star in the 1780s, the scientist called it "a delightfully beautiful garnet-colored object."
In the sky of the northern hemisphere, it is observed without a telescope from August to January, it resembles a drop of blood in the sky. After two or three million years, a giant supernova explosion is expected, which will turn the star into a black hole or a pulsar and a gas and dust cloud.
At 20,000 light-years from Earth, the red giant V838 shines in the constellation Monoceros. This cluster of stars, previously unknown to anyone, "became famous" in 2002. At this time, an explosion occurred there, which astronomers first perceived as a supernova explosion. But due to its young age, the star did not approach the cosmic "death".
For a long time they could not even guess what the cause of the cataclysm was. Hypotheses have now been put forward that the object has swallowed up a "companion star" or objects orbiting around it.
The object is credited with dimensions from 1170 to 1970 solar radii. Due to the gigantic distance, scientists do not give exact numbers for the mass of the red variable star.
Until recently, scientists believed that the parameters of WHO 64 are comparable to R136a1 from the constellation Canis Major.
But it was found that the size of this luminary is only 1540 times larger than the sun. It shines from the Large Magellanic Cloud.
V354 Cephei. The red supergiant V354 Cephei, 9,000 light-years from Earth, is invisible without a telescope.
It is located in the Milky Way galaxy. The temperature on the shell is 3650 degrees Kelvin, the radius is 1520 times greater than the solar one and is determined at 1.06 billion km.
KY Swan. It would take 5,000 light years to fly to KY Cygnus. This time is hard to imagine. Such figures mean that a beam of light flies at hyperluminal speed from a star to the Earth for 5000 years.
If we compare the radius of the object and the Sun, then it will be 1420 solar radii. The mass of the star is only 25 times the mass of the landmark. But KY will quite compete for the title of the brightest star in the part of the Universe open to us. Its luminosity outstrips the solar millions of times.
KW Sagittarius. 10,000 irresistible light years separate us from the KW star in Sagittarius.
It is a red supergiant with a size of 1460 solar radii and a luminosity 360,000 times higher than that of our Sun.
The constellation is visible in the sky of the southern hemisphere. It is easy to find on the surface of the Milky Way. The star cluster was first described by Ptolemy in the second century.
RW Cephei. The dimensions of RW Cepheus are still being debated. Some scientists claim that the dimensions are equal to 1260 radii of the landmark, others are inclined to believe that they are 1650 solar radii. It is the largest variable star.
If it is moved to the place of the Sun in our system, then the supergiant photosphere will be between the trajectories of Saturn and Jupiter. The star is rapidly flying towards the solar system at a speed of 56 km/sec. The end of the star will turn it into a supernova, or the core will collapse into a black hole.
Betelgeuse. The red giant Betelgeuse lies 640 light-years away in Orion. The size of Betelgeuse is 1100 solar radii. Astronomers are confident that in the near future there will be a period of rebirth of a star into a black hole or supernova. Humanity will see this universal show from the "front row".
As we eagerly gaze into the sky with all our instruments and explore it with robotic spacecraft and human crewed missions, we are sure to make amazing new discoveries that will take us even further into space.
We are constantly studying new objects among the trillions of celestial bodies. We will discover more than one new star, which will outshine the already known ones in size. But alas, we will never know about the true scale of the universe.
Today you will learn about the most unusual stars. It is estimated that there are about 100 billion galaxies in the universe and about 100 billion stars in each galaxy. Given so many stars, there must be strange ones among them. Many of the sparkling, burning balls of gas are quite similar to each other, but some stand out for their odd size, weight, and behavior. Using modern telescopes, scientists continue to study these stars to better understand them and the universe, but mysteries still remain. Curious about the strangest stars? Here are 25 of the most unusual stars in the universe.
25. UY Scuti
Considered a supergiant star, UY Scuti is large enough to swallow up our star, half of our neighboring planets, and virtually our entire solar system. Its radius is about 1700 times the radius of the Sun.
24. Star of Methuselah
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The star of Methuselah, also called HD 140283, really lives up to its name. Some believe it is 16 billion years old, which is a problem since the Big Bang only happened 13.8 billion years ago. Astronomers have tried to use better methods of age determination to better date the star, but still believe it to be at least 14 billion years old.
23. Thorn-Zhitkov object
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Initially, the existence of this object was proposed theoretically by Kip Thorne (Kip Thorne) and Anna Zhitkova (Anna Zytkow), it represents two stars, a neutron and a red supergiant, combined into one star. A potential candidate for the role of this object has been named HV 2112.
22.R136a1 
Photo: flickr
Although UY Scuti is the largest star known to man, R136a1 is definitely one of the heaviest in the universe. Its mass is 265 times greater than the mass of our Sun. What makes her weird is that we don't know exactly how she was formed. The main theory is that it was formed by the merger of several stars.
21.PSR B1257+12
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Most of the exoplanets in the solar system PSR B1257+12 are dead and bathed in deadly radiation from their old star. A surprising fact about their star is that the zombie star or pulsar has died, but the core still remains. The radiation emanating from it makes this solar system a no man's land.
20. SAO 206462
Photo: flickr
Consisting of two spiral arms spanning 14 million miles across, SAO 206462 is certainly the strangest and most unique star in the universe. While some galaxies are known to have arms, stars usually don't. Scientists believe that this star is in the process of creating planets.
19. 2MASS J0523-1403
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2MASS J0523-1403 is arguably the smallest known star in the universe and is only 40 light years away. Due to its small size and mass, scientists believe that its age may be 12 trillion years.
18. Heavy metal subdwarfs
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Astronomers recently discovered a pair of stars with a lot of lead in their atmospheres, which creates thick and heavy clouds around the star. They are called HE 2359-2844 and HE 1256-2738 and are located 800 and 1000 light years away respectively, but you can just call them heavy metal subdwarfs. Scientists are still not sure how they form.
17. RX J1856.5-3754
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From the moment of their birth, neutron stars begin to ceaselessly lose energy and cool down. Thus, it is unusual that a 100,000-year-old neutron star such as RX J1856.5-3754 could be so hot and not show any signs of activity. Scientists believe that interstellar material is held together by the strong gravitational field of the star, resulting in enough energy to heat the star.
16. KIC 8462852
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The star system KIC 8462852 has received a lot of attention and interest from SETI and astronomers for its unusual behavior of late. Sometimes it dims by 20 percent, which may mean that something is orbiting around it. Of course, this prompted some to conclude that these were aliens, but another explanation is the debris of a comet that entered the same orbit with a star.
15. Vega
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Vega is the fifth brightest star in the night sky, but that doesn't make it weird at all. The high rotation speed of 960,600 km per hour gives it the shape of an egg, and not spherical, like our Sun. There are also temperature variations, with colder temperatures at the equator.
14.SGR 0418+5729
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A magnet located 6,500 light-years from Earth, SGR 0418+5729 has the strongest magnetic field in the universe. The strange thing about it is that it does not fit the image of traditional magnetars with a surface magnetic field, as in ordinary neutron stars.
13. Kepler-47
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In the constellation Cygnus, 4,900 light-years from Earth, astronomers have first discovered a pair of planets orbiting two stars. Known as the Kelper-47 system, the orbiting stars outshine each other every 7.5 days. One star is roughly the size of our Sun, but only 84 percent as bright. The discovery proves that more than one planet can exist in a stressful orbit of a binary star system.
12. La Superba
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La Superba is another massive star located 800 light years away. It is about 3 times heavier than our Sun and four astronomical units in size. It is so bright that it can be seen from Earth with the naked eye.
11. MY Camelopardalis
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MY Camelopardalis was thought to be a single bright star, but the two stars were later found to be so close that they practically touch each other. Two stars slowly fuse together to form one star. No one knows when they will fully merge.
10.PSR J1719-1438b
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Technically, PSR J1719-1438b is not a star, but it was once. When it was still a star, its outer layers were sucked out by another star, turning it into a small planet. What's even more amazing about this former star is that it's now a giant diamond planet five times the size of Earth.
9. OGLE TR-122b
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Usually, against the background of an average star, the rest of the planets resemble pebbles, but OGLE TR-122b is about the same size as Jupiter. That's right, it's the smallest star in the universe. Scientists believe it originated as a stellar dwarf billions of years ago, the first time a star comparable in size to a planet has been discovered.
8. L1448 IRS3B
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Astronomers discovered the three-star system L1448 IRS3B as it began to form. Using the ALMA telescope in Chile, they observed two young stars orbiting a much older star. They believe that these two young stars appeared as a result of a nuclear reaction with gas rotating around the star.
Photo: Wikipedia Commons.com
Mira, also known as Omicron Ceti, is 420 light-years away and is quite strange due to its constantly fluctuating brightness. Scientists consider it a dying star, located in the last years of its life. Even more amazing is that it travels through space at 130 kilometers per second and has a tail that spans several light-years.
6. Fomalhaut-C
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If you think the two-star system was cool, then you might want to see Fomalhaut-C. It is a system with three stars only 25 light years from Earth. Although triple star systems are not entirely unique, this one is because the arrangement of the stars far away rather than close together is an anomaly. The star Fomalhaut-C is especially far away from A and B.
5. Swift J1644+57
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The appetite of a black hole is not picky. In the case of Swift J1644+57, a dormant black hole woke up and engulfed the star. Scientists made this discovery in 2011 using X-ray and radio waves. It took 3.9 billion light years for light to reach Earth.
4.PSR J1841-0500
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Known for their regular and constantly pulsating glow, they are rapidly rotating stars that rarely "turn off". But PSR J1841-0500 surprised scientists by only doing it for 580 days. Scientists believe that studying this star will help them understand how pulsars work.
3.PSR J1748-2446
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The strangest thing about PSR J1748-2446 is that it is the fastest rotating object in the universe. It has a density 50 trillion times that of lead. To top it off, its magnetic field is a trillion times stronger than that of our Sun. In short, this is an insanely hyperactive star.
2. SDSS J090745.0+024507
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SDSS J090745.0+024507 is a ridiculously long name for a runaway star. With the help of a supermassive black hole, the star has been blasted out of its orbit and is moving fast enough to exit the Milky Way. Let's hope that none of these stars will rush in our direction.
1. Magnetar SGR 1806-20
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Magnetar SGR 1806-20 is a terrifying force that exists in our universe. Astronomers detected a bright flash at a distance of 50,000 light-years, and it was so powerful that it reflected off the Moon and illuminated the Earth's atmosphere for ten seconds. The solar flare raised questions among scientists about whether such a flare could lead to the extinction of all life on Earth.
In fact, this question is not as simple as it seems. It is very difficult to determine the exact sizes of stars, it is calculated on the basis of a lot of indirect data, because we cannot see their disks directly. Direct observation of the stellar disk has so far been carried out only for some large and nearby supergiants, and there are millions of stars in the sky. Therefore, it is not so easy to determine which is the largest star in the Universe - you have to rely mainly on calculated data.
In addition, for some stars, the boundary between the surface and the huge atmosphere is very blurred, and it is difficult to understand where one ends and the other begins. But this is an error not for some hundreds, but for millions of kilometers.
Many stars do not have a strictly defined diameter, they pulsate, and become either larger or smaller. And they can change their diameter very significantly.
In addition, science does not stand still. More and more accurate measurements are being made, distances and other parameters are being refined, and some stars suddenly turn out to be much more interesting than they seemed. This also applies to sizes. Therefore, we consider several candidates that are among the largest stars in the universe. Note that all of them are located not too far in space terms, and they are also the largest stars in the Galaxy.
A red hypergiant that claims to be the largest star in the universe. Alas, it is not, but very close. It is in third place in terms of size.
VV Cephei - that is, double, and the giant in this system is component A, which will be discussed. The second component is an unremarkable blue star, 8 times the size of the Sun. But the red hypergiant is also a pulsating star, with a period of 150 days. Its dimensions can vary from 1050 to 1900 solar diameters, and at its maximum it shines 575,000 times brighter than our star!
This star is located 5000 light-years away from us, and at the same time it has a brightness of 5.18 m in the sky, that is, with a clear sky and good eyesight, it can be found, and even with binoculars it’s generally easy.
UY Shield
This red hypergiant is also striking in its size. Some sites mention it as the largest star in the universe. Refers to semi-regular variables and pulsates, so the diameter can vary - from 1708 to 1900 solar diameters. Just imagine a star, 1900 times larger than our Sun! If you place it in the center of the solar system, then all the planets, up to Jupiter, will be inside it.
Sun, Sirius, Pollux, Arcturus, against UY Shield. It is probably the largest star in the universe.
In numbers, the diameter of this one of the largest stars in space is 2.4 billion kilometers, or 15.9 astronomical units. 5 billion suns could fit inside it. It shines 340,000 times stronger than the Sun, although the surface temperature is much lower due to its larger area.
At peak brightness, UY Scutum is visible as a faint reddish star with a brightness of 11.2 m, that is, it can be seen in a small telescope, but it is not visible to the naked eye. The fact is that the distance to this large star is 9500 light years - we would not see another on it at all. In addition, there are clouds of dust between us - if they were not there, UY Scutum would be one of the brightest stars in our sky, despite the huge distance to it.
UY Scutum is a huge star. It can be compared with the previous candidate - VV Cephei. They are about the same at the maximum, and it is not even clear which one is larger. However, there is definitely an even bigger star!
VY Canis Major
The diameter of VY, however, according to some sources, is estimated at 1800-2100 solar, that is, this is a clear champion among all other red hypergiants. If it were at the center of the solar system, it would swallow up all the planets, along with Saturn. Previous candidates for the title of the largest stars in the universe would also fit into it completely.
It only takes 14.5 seconds for light to circle our Sun completely. To go around VY Canis Major, the light would have to fly 8.5 hours! If you dared to make such a flyby along the surface in a fighter jet, at a speed of 4500 km/h, then such a non-stop journey would take 220 years.
Size comparison of the Sun and VY Canis Major.
This star still raises a lot of questions, since its exact size is difficult to establish due to the diffuse corona, which has a much lower density than the sun. And the star itself has a density thousands of times less than the density of the air we breathe.
In addition, VY Canis Majoris is losing its substance and has formed a noticeable nebula around itself. This nebula may now contain even more matter than the star itself. In addition, it is unstable, and in the next 100 thousand years it will explode in a hypernova. Fortunately, it is 3900 light years away, and this terrible explosion does not threaten the Earth.
This star can be found in the sky with binoculars or a small telescope - its brightness varies from 6.5 to 9.6 m.
What is the largest star in the universe?
We looked at some of the largest stars in the universe known to scientists today. Their size is amazing. All of them are candidates for this title, but the data is constantly changing - science does not stand still. According to some reports, UY Shield can also "swell" up to 2200 solar diameters, that is, become even larger than VY Canis Major. On the other hand, there is too much controversy about the size of VY Canis Majoris. So these two stars are almost equal candidates for the title of the largest stars in the universe.
Which of them will turn out to be more in fact, will be shown by further research and clarification. While the majority is in favor of UY Shield, and you can safely call this star the largest in the Universe, it will be difficult to refute this statement.
Of course, it is not very correct to speak about the entire Universe. Perhaps this is the largest star in our Milky Way galaxy known to scientists today. But since even larger ones have not yet been discovered, it is still the largest in the Universe.
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