description WR 104 Overview
WR 104 is a Wolf-Rayet star located roughly 7,800 light-years away in the constellation Sagittarius. It forms a spectroscopic binary with an OB companion, and the system is surrounded by a rotating pinwheel-shaped dust nebula imaged at infrared wavelengths. The orbital geometry has led researchers to identify WR 104 as a candidate for a future gamma-ray burst and potential threat to Earth if its rotational axis is aligned with us, though later modeling suggests the alignment may be less severe than initially proposed.
help WR 104 FAQ
What creates the pinwheel around WR 104?
WR 104 is in a binary system containing a carbon-rich Wolf-Rayet star and a hot companion. Their colliding stellar winds produce dust that is carried outward in a rotating spiral, creating the pinwheel pattern.
Could a gamma-ray burst from WR 104 threaten Earth?
WR 104 has been discussed as a possible future supernova and gamma-ray-burst progenitor because Wolf-Rayet stars are massive and highly evolved. The actual risk to Earth is uncertain and generally considered low because the eventual explosion geometry and ability to produce a directed burst are not established.
Where is WR 104 in the night sky?
WR 104 lies in the direction of Sagittarius, within a crowded and dust-obscured part of the Milky Way. It is not a naked-eye object, and professional infrared observations are especially valuable for studying its dust spiral.
How was WR 104's spiral nebula discovered?
High-resolution infrared imaging revealed a repeating spiral structure around the system in the late 1990s. The discovery provided striking direct evidence of dust formation in colliding winds from a massive binary.
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