S Doradus

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S Doradus is the brightest star in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. A hypergiant, it is one of the most luminous stars known (sometimes more luminous than −10 absolute magnitude), but so far away that it is invisible to the naked eye.

S Doradus varies from about 8.6 to 11.7 apparent magnitude from Earth, and can be found in the extreme southern sky (in the constellation Dorado) at right ascension 5h 18.2m, declination −69°15′.

Some have speculated that S Doradus may be a binary star. The data is inconclusive at this time, however.

This star belongs to its own eponymous S Doradus class of variable stars (these classes are usually named after their prototypes); also designated as the class luminous blue variable or LBV. S Doradus exhibits long, slow changes in brightness, punctuated by occasional outbursts.