Wolf-Rayet stars (often referred to as WR stars) are evolved, massive
stars (over 20
solar masses), and are losing their mass rapidly by means of a very strong
stellar wind, with speeds up to 2000 km/s. While our own
sun loses 10-14% of its own mass every year, a Wolf-Rayet star loses 10-5 solar masses a year. These stars are also very hot: their surface temperatures are in the range of 25,000 K to 50,000 K.
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An exceptionally hot star which has a surface temperature of between 20,000 and 50,000 Kelvin. A Wolf-Rayet star is characterised by having spectral emission lines in its spectrum. This is because it is surrounded by large clouds of gas, produced by the star as it undergoes periods of intense mass loss in the form of solar winds. Sometimes these stars are found at the centre of
planetary nebulae which are still forming.
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