Wray 17-96

Wray 17-96

Gas shell in the mid-infrared around WRAY 17-96
Credit: NASA Spitzer Space Telescope
Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox J2000
Constellation Scorpius
Right ascension 17h 41m 35.436s[1]
Declination −30° 06′ 38.78″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V) ~13.0[2]
Characteristics
Spectral type B[e]:[3]
Apparent magnitude (B) 17.8[4]
Apparent magnitude (R) 14.23[5]
Apparent magnitude (J) 6.707[6]
Apparent magnitude (H) 5.52[6]
Apparent magnitude (K) 4.796[6]
Variable type LBV?[7]
Astrometry
Proper motion (μ) RA: −0.176[1] mas/yr
Dec.: −1.278[1] mas/yr
Parallax (π)0.1457 ± 0.0871 mas[1]
Distanceapprox. 20,000 ly
(approx. 7,000 pc)
Details
Radius260[8] R☉
Luminosity1,800,000[3] L☉
Temperature13,000[3] K
Other designations
2MASS J17413543-3006389, Hen 3-1453
Database references
SIMBADdata

Wray 17-96 is a very luminous star in the Scorpius constellation, about 20,000 light-years (7 kpc) away. It is a suspected luminous blue variable (LBV), although it has not shown the characteristic spectral variations.

A visual band light curve for Wray 17-96, plotted from ASAS-SN data[9]

Wray 17-96 has an absolute bolometric magnitude of −10.9 (1.8 million times the Sun's luminosity), making it one of the most luminous stars known. The spectral type is peculiar, showing emission and absorption, sometimes both in the same line. Photospheric helium lines are visible indicating that the star is at least somewhat evolved. It is highly reddened by interstellar extinction and the visual brightness is reduced by nearly 9 magnitudes.[3]

Wray 17-96 is also notable for its highly symmetrical ring-shaped 10 M☉ gas shell,[3] which was originally classified as a planetary nebula.[10]

  1. ^ a b c d e Vallenari, A.; et al. (Gaia collaboration) (2023). "Gaia Data Release 3. Summary of the content and survey properties". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 674: A1. arXiv:2208.00211. Bibcode:2023A&A...674A...1G. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202243940. S2CID 244398875. Gaia DR3 record for this source at VizieR.
  2. ^ Henize, K. G. (1976). "Observations of southern emissiOn-Line stars". The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. 30: 491. Bibcode:1976ApJS...30..491H. doi:10.1086/190369. ISSN 0067-0049.
  3. ^ a b c d e Egan, Michael P.; et al. (2002). "An Infrared Ring Nebula around MSX5C G358.5391+00.1305: The True Nature of Suspected Planetary Nebula Wray 17-96 Determined via Direct Imaging and Spectroscopy". The Astrophysical Journal. 572 (1): 288–299. Bibcode:2002ApJ...572..288E. doi:10.1086/340222.
  4. ^ Monet, David (1998). "Usno-A2.0". Usno-A2.0. Bibcode:1998usno.book.....M.
  5. ^ Zacharias, N.; Finch, C.; Girard, T.; Hambly, N.; Wycoff, G.; Zacharias, M. I.; Castillo, D.; Corbin, T.; Divittorio, M.; Dutta, S.; Gaume, R.; Gauss, S.; Germain, M.; Hall, D.; Hartkopf, W.; Hsu, D.; Holdenried, E.; Makarov, V.; Martinez, M.; Mason, B.; Monet, D.; Rafferty, T.; Rhodes, A.; Siemers, T.; Smith, D.; Tilleman, T.; Urban, S.; Wieder, G.; Winter, L.; Young, A. (2009). "VizieR On-Line Data Catalog: Third U.S. Naval Observatory CCD Astrograph Catalog (UCAC3)". VizieR On-Line Data Catalog: I/315. Originally Published in: Astron. J. (2009). 1315: 0. Bibcode:2009yCat.1315....0Z.
  6. ^ a b c Zacharias, N.; Urban, S. E.; Zacharias, M. I.; Wycoff, G. L.; Hall, D. M.; Germain, M. E.; Holdenried, E. R.; Winter, L. (2003). "VizieR On-Line Data Catalog: The Second U.S. Naval Observatory CCD Astrograph Catalog (UCAC2)". CDS/ADC Collection of Electronic Catalogues. 1289: 0. Bibcode:2003yCat.1289....0Z.
  7. ^ Nazé, Y.; Rauw, G.; Hutsemékers, D. (2012). "The first X-ray survey of Galactic luminous blue variables". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 538: A47. arXiv:1111.6375. Bibcode:2012A&A...538A..47N. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201118040. S2CID 43688343.
  8. ^ Calculated by the formula ([luminosity]/[temperature/5772]^4)^0.5
  9. ^ "ASAS-SN Variable Stars Database". ASAS-SN Variable Stars Database. ASAS-SN. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  10. ^ Frew, D. J.; Bojicic, I. S.; Parker, Q. A. (2013). "A catalogue of integrated H fluxes for 1258 Galactic planetary nebulae". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 431 (1): 2. arXiv:1211.2505. Bibcode:2013MNRAS.431....2F. doi:10.1093/mnras/sts393. S2CID 119174103.