File:Wolf-Rayet_124_(NIRCam_and_MIRI_composite_image).tif · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Wolf–Rayet star
Sign in to saveAlso known as WR star, Wolf-Rayet star, W-type star, W-class star, W star, Class W star
evolved, massive star that has run out of hydrogen
A Wolf-Rayet star is a rare, extremely hot and luminous type of star that has exhausted the hydrogen fuel in its core and is in a late stage of its life. These massive stars matter because they help astronomers understand how the most powerful stars evolve and eventually end their lives, often in spectacular supernova explosions.
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James Webb Space Telescope image of the Wolf–Rayet star WR 124 and the nebula M1–67 surrounding it (NIRCam and MIRI composite)
Wolf–Rayet stars, often abbreviated as WR stars, are a rare heterogeneous set of stars with unusual spectra showing prominent broad emission lines of ionised helium and highly ionised nitrogen or carbon. The spectra indicate very high surface enhancement of heavy elements, depletion of hydrogen, and strong stellar winds. The surface temperatures of known Wolf–Rayet stars range from 20,000 K to around 210,000 K, hotter than almost all other kinds of stars. They were previously called W-type stars referring to their spectral classification.