images

Artwork of a Wolf-Rayet star

by

Nasa/Novapix

Reference

a-eto99-60010

Date

2006-11-04

A Wolf-Rayet star in its final hours. Wolf-Rayet stars are extremely massive bluish stars, containing the mass of 10 to 15 suns. The blue-white color of the star indicates that its surface temperature is approximately 50,000 C. Surrounding the star are wisps of gas that have recently been shed from the outer atmosphere.