What type of star is Rigel classified as?

Rigel is classified as a supergiant star, which is the correct classification. Supergiants are among the largest and brightest stars in the universe. They typically have masses greater than eight times that of the Sun and have expanded significantly after burning through their hydrogen fuel in the core. Rigel, located in the constellation Orion, is a blue supergiant and is one of the most luminous stars known, with an absolute magnitude of around -7.84, which emphasizes its status as a supergiant.

The characteristics of supergiants include high luminosity, a substantial size, and a relatively short lifespan compared to less massive stars. Rigel, being a blue supergiant, indicates that it has a high surface temperature and is at a later evolutionary stage than the Main Sequence stars, which are in a stable phase of burning hydrogen.

In contrast, other classifications listed, such as red giants, white dwarfs, and main sequence stars, describe different evolutionary stages and characteristics. Red giants are stars that have expanded and cooled after exhausting their core hydrogen, while white dwarfs are the remnants of stars that have shed their outer layers and are undergoing a gradual cooling. Main sequence stars, including our Sun, fuse hydrogen into helium and represent a