Rigel is located approximately 860 light-years away from Earth. This stunning blue supergiant star resides in the constellation Orion and stands out due to its brightness.
To put this distance into perspective, a light-year is the distance light travels in one year, which is about 5.88 trillion miles (9.46 trillion kilometers). Therefore, Rigel is a significant distance away in astronomical terms, making it one of the nearest and brightest stars visible in our night sky.
Understanding distances in space can be challenging, as they are often vast and difficult to conceptualize. However, Rigel’s distance helps astronomers understand the scale of our universe and the positioning of various celestial bodies.