HD 38282
A massive spectroscopic binary of two luminous Wolf-Rayet stars.
Last updated
HD 38282 (also known as R144, BAT99-118, Brey 89) is a massive spectroscopic binary star system located in the Tarantula Nebula of the Large Magellanic Cloud. It consists of two hydrogen-rich Wolf-Rayet stars, both among the most luminous known, and is notable for its proximity to the R136 cluster at the center of NGC 2070.
Quick Facts
- Designations
- HD 38282
- R144
- BAT99-118
- Brey 89
- Constituent stars
- Two hydrogen-rich Wolf-Rayet stars (both WNh)
- Location
- Tarantula Nebula, Large Magellanic Cloud
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
HD 38282 is located near the R136 cluster at the center of NGC 2070 and may have been ejected from it after an encounter with another massive binary. It shares a common X-ray cavity with the R146 (HD 269926) and R147 (HD 38344) Wolf-Rayet star systems.
Both components are detected in the spectrum and are WNh stars, very hot stars with strong emission lines due to their powerful stellar winds. The orbit has not been determined, but is likely between two and six months long, possibly more if it is eccentric. The primary, slightly hotter star, is observed to be the less massive of the two.
Reader's Guide
HD 38282 is significant as a binary system containing two of the most luminous stars known, each a hydrogen-rich Wolf-Rayet star of type WNh. Its location near the R136 cluster and possible ejection from it after a dynamical encounter with another massive binary provides insight into the violent interactions within dense star-forming regions. The system shares an X-ray cavity with neighboring Wolf-Rayet systems, indicating a common environment shaped by strong stellar winds.
The orbital parameters remain undetermined, but the likely period of two to six months and the unusual mass relation—where the hotter primary is less massive than the secondary—pose challenges for stellar evolution models. The stars' initial masses have been modeled, but their current masses are uncertain, reflecting the difficulty of deriving precise parameters from unresolved binary spectra. HD 38282 thus serves as a key object for studying massive binary evolution, wind interactions, and the dynamics of the Tarantula Nebula's central cluster.
More in Emission, Dark and Reflection Nebulae
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: HD 38282 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Word definitions: the Codexery glossary, each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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