description WR 104 Overview
WR 104 is a Wolf-Rayet star in Sagittarius that forms a rotating pinwheel nebula with its O-star companion and is considered a candidate gamma-ray burst progenitor.
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WR 104 ranks #96 of 217 in the Star ranking, behind Kochab, ahead of Mirfak.
Pinwheel nebula and gamma-ray-burst discussion give fame, though threat claims are often overstated.
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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