R Doradus

R Doradus is a red giant star located about 1800 light-years away in the constellation Doradus. It is an ancient, evolved star that has expanded greatly after exhausting the fuel in its core, giving it a large, luminous appearance. R Doradus is extremely bright—about 5,000 times brighter than our Sun—yet its size varies over time due to pulsations. Its cool surface temperature gives it a reddish hue. As a variable star, its brightness fluctuates regularly, providing valuable insights into stellar evolution and the late stages of a star's life cycle.