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Back WR 136 - the Star behind the Crescent Nebula

WR 136 - the Star behind the Crescent Nebula


Depicts: WR 136, IRAS 20102+3812
Copyright: Brian D. Moore, Jeff Hester, Paul Scowen, Reginald Dufour and NASA

WR 136 created this web of luminous material during the late stages of its life. As a bloated, red super-giant, WR 136 gently puffed away some of its bulk, which settled around it. When the star passed from a super-giant to a Wolf-Rayet, it developed a fierce stellar wind - a stream of charged particles released from its surface - and began expelling mass at a furious rate.
Last Update: 1 September 2019
8-Mar-2026 03:51 UT

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