Celestial hemisphere:  Southern  ·  Constellation: Sagittarius (Sgr)  ·  Contains:  HD160972  ·  HD161117  ·  HD161387  ·  LBN 9  ·  LDN 82  ·  PK002+01.1  ·  PK002+01.3  ·  PK002+01.4
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G2.4+1.4 (WR 102 The Hottest Known Star), Daniel Stern
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G2.4+1.4 (WR 102 The Hottest Known Star)

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
G2.4+1.4 (WR 102 The Hottest Known Star), Daniel Stern
Powered byPixInsight

G2.4+1.4 (WR 102 The Hottest Known Star)

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Description

WR 102 is a Wolf-Rayet star within the pictured nebula. Generally, Wolf-Rayet stars are rare, massive, luminous stars characterized by strong stellar winds and intense radiation. Wolf-Rayet stars are uncommon and WR-102 stands out even among that special category. It’s an extraordinary star with a mass about 300 times that of the Sun (a typical WR star has a mass of about 50 times that of the Sun) and a luminosity of 5 million times that of the Sun (a typical WR star has a luminosity of about 50 times that of our Sun), making it one of the largest and brightest known stars in our galaxy. It is likely in the final stages of its evolution, having exhausted its hydrogen fuel and most of its helium and expanded to become a giant. It is expected to go supernova in the next 1,500 – 10,000 years.

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G2.4+1.4 (WR 102 The Hottest Known Star), Daniel Stern