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 at that time.

This is a list of Wolf-Rayet stars, in order of their distance from Earth

List Milky Way Galaxy Star system Star Image Median distance (ly) Spectral type Apparent magnitude (V) Comments and references Gamma² Velorum A (WR 11/Regor) WC8 1.83 Closest Wolf-Rayet star to Earth. It has an O-type companion star. WR 147 A 2,100 ± 200 WN8h 13.86 + 16.02 Has a B-type companion star. HD 45166 A 3,232 qWR 9.88 The primary of HD 45166 is currently the only known example of a qWR star and has a B-type companion star. HD 107969 3,377.2±153.6 WC Center star of NGC 4361 Nebula. WR 142 4,000 WO2 12.94 HD 326823 (V1104 Scorpii) 4,142 WNpec 9.03 HD 151932 (WR 78) 4,200 WN7h 6.45 - 6.61 EZ Canis Majoris (WR 6) 4,900 WN4-s 6.91 WR 144 5,120 WC4 WR 111 (HD 165763) WC5 +7.82 WR 140 A (SBC9 1232) 5,600 ± 300 WC7p 6.85 HD 152408 (WR 79a) 5,600 WN9ha 5.81-5.85 WR 93 5,900 WC7 WR 134 6,000 WN6-s 8.08 WR 135 6,000 WC8 8.11 WR 133 A (V1676 Cyg) 6,100 ± 300 WN5o 6.75 - 6.84 HD 152408 (WR 79a) 6,500 WN9ha 5.81-5.85 WR 25 A (HD 93162) 6,500 O2.5If*/WN6 8.80 Apep (WR 70-16) WR + WR CV Serpentis (WR 113) 6,700 ± 200 WC8d 9.08 WR 136 (HD 192163) 6,700 ± 500 WN6(h)-s 7.50 WR 86 6849 ± 800 WR 9.27 HD 192641 (WR 137) WC7pd+O9Ve WR 114 7,200 ± 600 WC5 12.02 HD 83535 7,270 WC3 Central star of NGC 2867 Nebula. Theta Muscae (WR 48) 7,400 WC5/6 5.53 WR 93b 7,600 ± 500 WO3 15.2 PG 1159 8,000 WC Central star of Engraved Hourglass Nebula. WR 2 (HD 6327) 8,186 WN2-w 11.33 WR 22 (V429 Carinae) 8,300 ± 700 WN7h 6.42 WR 104 (V5097 Sgr) 8,400 WC9d 13.28 + 15.36 AG Pegasi 9,000 WR 6.0 - 9.4 WR 8 WR WR 46 (DI Crucis) 9,300 ± 900 WN3p-w 10.83 WR 3 (HD 9974) WN3-hw 10.69 WR 128 9,500 WN4(h)-w 10.51 WR 102 9,500 ± 600 WO2 14.10 WR 138 10,000 WR WR 120 10,000 WN7w + WN3/4 11.93 WR 119 10,500 WC9d 12.06 WR 1 (V863 Cas/HD 4004) 10,500 ± 500 WN4-s 10.54 WR 112 WC8-9d+OB WR 157 11285.01 WN4.5 Member of Markarian 50 Cluster. WR 69 11,350 WC9d 9.1 WR 156 11,900 ± 500 WN8h 11.01 WR 9 12,000 ± 600 WC4 10.50 WR 48a 12,400 ± 2000WC8d+Oe WR 142a 13,000 WR WR 21a 13,100 ± 700 O3/WN5ha + O3Vz((f*)) 12.661 WR 138a 13,698 WN9h 15.44 HD 16523 (WR 4/V493 Per) 14,000 WC6 9.99 CD Crucis (WR 47) 14,000 WN6o 10.81 WR 120–6 WN4 It is the central star of Abell 48 Planetary Nebula. WR 24 (HD 93131) WN6ha-w 6.48 - 6.50 WR 20a 14,000 ± 1,000 O3If*/WN6 + O3If*/WN6 13.28 NGC 2452 Central Star 15,000 WO1 Central star of NGC 2452. WR 142b 15,000 WR WR 7 (HD 56925) 16,000 WN4-s 11.56 M4-18 Central star WC11 Central star of M4-18. AG Carinae 17,000 ± 1,000 WN11 6.96 WR 12 (V378 Velorum) 19,000 ± 1,000 WN8h 10.78 MR 93 (WR 125) WC7d+O9III OAO 1657-415 20,000 Ofpe/WN9 >23 WR 124 (QR Sagittae) 21,000 ± 2,000 WN8h 11.50±0.11 WR 30a WO4 WR 121-16 23,190 WN7o/WC 14.02 Cygnus X-3 (WR 145a/V1521 Cyg) 24,135±1,100 WN 4–6 NGC 3603-A1 (WR 43a/HD 97950A1) 24,800 WN6h+WN6h 11.18 Part of NGC 3603 Nebula. NGC 3603-B (WR 43b/HD 97950B) WN6h 11.33 NGC 3603-C (WR 43c/HD 97950C) WN6h 11.89 NGC 3603 MTT 58 (WR 43-2) O2If*/WN6 Arches-B1 (WR 102bc) 25,000 WN8-9h Part of Arches Cluster. Arches-F1 (WR 102ad) WN8-9h Arches-F2 (WR 102aa) WN8–9h O5–6 Ia+ || Arches-F3 (WR 102bb) WN8-9h Arches-F4 (WR 102al) WN7–8h Arches-F5 (WR 102ai) WN8-9h Arches-F6 (WR 102ah) WN8-9h Arches-F7 (WR 102aj) WN8-9h Arches-F8 (WR 102ag) WN8-9h Arches-F9 (WR 102ae) WN8-9h Arches-F10 (WR 102ab) O7–8 Ia+ Arches-F12 (WR 102af) WN7–8h Arches-F14 (WR 102ba) WN8-9h Arches-F16 (WR 102ak) WN8-9h Arches-F17 (WR 102ac) O5–6 Ia+ WR 42e (2MASS J11144550-115001) O3If*/WN6 14.53 G0.059-0.068 26,000 B0-1Ia+/WNLh G0.238-0.071 WN11h Present in the Galactic Center region of Milky Way. WR 102ka (Peony Star) 26,000 Ofpe/WN9 WR 102c WN6 11.6 Part of Quintuplet cluster. WR 102ea WN9h 8.8 WR 102da WC9?d WR 102dc WC9d + OB WR 102ha WC8/9d + OB WR 102dd WC9d WR 102hb WN9h WR 102db WC9?d WR 102f WC8 WR 102df O6–8 I f (Of/WN?) WR 102i WN9h WR 102d WN9h LHO 79 WC9d GCIRS 13E (WR 101f) 26,000 WR Located near Galactic Center. GCIRS 16SW Ofpe/WN9 Located near Galactic Center. WR 101-2 (CXOGC J174516.1-284909) 26,092 Ofpe/WN9 WR 148 27,000 WN8h + O5V? 10.3 WR 31a (Hen 3-519) 28,000 WN11h 10.85 WR 102e WR WR 150 WC5 13.47 HD 826 30,000 WC8 Center Star of NGC 40 Nebula. WR 102b 31,000 WR Mercer 30-1 A (WR 46-3 A) 40,000 WR Mercer 30-7 A WR

Magellanic Clouds The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is around 163 kly distant and the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) is around 204 kly distant. Host galaxy Star system Median distance (ly) Spectral type Apparent magnitude (V) Comments and referencesLMC LMC195-1 160,000 WO2 15.15 LH 41-1042 WO4 13.95 R145 (HD 269928) 163,000 WN6h + O3.5If*/WN7 12.04 HD 38282 (BAT99-118/Brey 89) WN5-6h + WN6-7h 11.11 BAT99-7 WN4b 13.81 BAT99-59 WR Central star of NGC 2020. BAT99-123 (Brey 93) WO3 15.204 Melnick 34 (BAT99-116) WN5h + WN5h 13.09 R136a1 (RMC 136a1) WN5h 12.23 R136a2 (RMC 136a2) WN5h 12.34 R136a3 WN5h 12.97 R136c WN5h 12.86 R71 (HD 269006) 164,000 WR 8.7 - 9.9 - 11.2 VFTS 457 O3.5If*/WN7 VFTS 482 O3If*/WN6-A VFTS 545 O2If*/WN5 VFTS 682 WN5h 16.08 VFTS 1022 O3.5If*/WN7 R134 WR R146 WN4 BAT99-98 165,000 WN6 13.38 R99 Ofpe/WN10 11.46 SMC SMC AB7 197,000 WN4 13.016 SMC AB8 WO4 12.83 HD 5980 200,000 WN4 8.8 - 11.9

Andromeda Galaxy and Triangulum Galaxy The Andromeda Galaxy (M31) is 2.5 Mly distant and the Triangulum Galaxy is around 3.2 Mly distant Host galaxy Star system Median distance (ly) Spectral type Apparent magnitude (V) Comments and referencesTriangulum [BMS2003] 867 2,700,000 O4Iab+O4Ia Romano's Star WN8h–WN11h 16.5–18.8

Other galaxies Host Galaxy Star system Median distance (ly) Spectral type Apparent magnitude (V) Comments and references NGC 6822 NGC 6822-WR 12 (LGGS J194513.50-144512.9) 1,540,000 WN4 18.96 IC 1613 DR1 (CAIRNS J010501.61+020420.6) 2,350,000 WO3 19.857 IC 10 IC 10 X-1 A 2,500,000 ± 0.5 WR Has a black hole companion. NGC 300 NGC 300 X-1 A 6,070,000 ± 0.23 WR Has a black hole companion. NGC 300 STWR 13 6,070,000 ± 0.23 WO4 NGC 1313 [HC2007] 31 12,886,000 WO3

See also List of luminous blue variable stars List of O-type stars

References

External links Wolf-Rayet Star Catalogue