The largest known star is UY Scuti, a red supergiant located in the constellation Scutum. This immense star is estimated to be over 1,700 times the radius of the Sun, making it one of the largest stars currently known. UY Scuti is not only notable for its size but also for its luminosity, shining roughly 340,000 times brighter than the Sun. Such massive stars have relatively short life spans compared to smaller stars; they undergo rapid stellar evolution and ultimately end their lives in spectacular supernova explosions. UY Scuti exemplifies the extreme characteristics of some of the universe's most giant stars.