A near-infrared (2.033 micron) light curve for V462 Scuti, adapted from Chené and St-Louis (2007). [1] The left-most point shows the 3 sigma error bar. | |
Observation data Epoch J2000 Equinox J2000 | |
---|---|
Constellation | Scutum |
Right ascension | 18h 41m 00.86698s [2] |
Declination | −4° 26′ 14.47345″ [2] |
Apparent magnitude (V) | 11.93 [3] |
Characteristics | |
Evolutionary stage | Wolf-Rayet |
Spectral type | WN7w [4] + WN3/4 [5] |
U−B color index | 0.13 [6] |
B−V color index | 1.04 [6] |
Astrometry | |
Proper motion (μ) |
RA: −0.489
[7]
mas/
yr Dec.: −2.524 [7] mas/ yr |
Parallax (π) | 0.3246 ± 0.0541 mas [7] |
Distance | approx. 10,000
ly (approx. 3,100 pc) |
Absolute magnitude (MV) | −3.81 [4] |
Details | |
Mass | 7 [4] M☉ |
Radius | 3.78 [4] R☉ |
Luminosity | 83,200 [4] L☉ |
Temperature | 50,100 [4] K |
Other designations | |
Database references | |
SIMBAD | data |
WR 120 is a binary containing two Wolf-Rayet stars in the constellation of Scutum, around 10,000 light years away. The primary is a hydrogen-free weak-lined WN7 star, the secondary is a hydrogen-free WN3 or 4 star, and the system is a possible member of the cluster Dolidze 33. [8] From our point of view, WR 120 is reddened by 4.82 magnitudes, and it has the variable designation of V462 Scuti. [9]
Analysis of the primary's spectrum with PoWR shows that it has a temperature of around 50,000 Kelvins, and is losing mass at a rate of 10−4.9 M☉/year, or 1 solar mass every 80,000 years, which is being carried away from the surface at a speed of 1,225 kilometres per second. [4] Taking its close distance into account, WR 120 A's luminosity turns out to be a mere 83,200 L☉, which would make it one of the dimmest WN stars known, and one of the only WN stars with a luminosity below 100,000 L☉. Using the Stefan-Boltzmann Law, a radius of 3.78 R☉ is derived, and a "transformed" radius at an optical depth of 2/3, more comparable to other types of stars, is at about 6 R☉. Using the WR Luminosity-Mass ratio, WR 120 may have a mass of just 7 M☉, one of the lowest masses of any WR star. WR 120 A’s visual luminosity is 2,858 L☉, which is also on the lower end of WR visual luminosities. [4]
WR 120 is thought to be a member of Dolidze 33, an open cluster nearly 3,000 pc away. [8]
In 2021, WR 120 was revealed to be a binary star. Previously, it was thought to be a single WR star, but it is in fact a rare double Wolf-Rayet star. The companion (a WN3/4 WR star) is located approximately 1700 AU from the primary WN7 WR, and is about 2.1 magnitudes fainter than WR 120.