Rigel is a large star. It's a blue supergiant, one of the most luminous and massive stars in our galaxy.

Here's why:

* Size: Rigel is about 74 times the radius of our Sun.

* Mass: It's estimated to be 17 to 21 times the mass of our Sun.

* Luminosity: Rigel shines with a luminosity around 120,000 times that of our Sun.

These characteristics put Rigel firmly in the "large star" category.