Stirling Astronomical Society Gallery

Apprximately 6000 light years from Earth, WR 134 is a Wolf-Rayet star near Sadr, the central star of Cygnus. The blue arc in this image is part of an expanding shell of gas surrounding the central star itself. This supermassive star has shed its outer layers which have then been blown outwards by intense solar winds. Wolf-Rayet stars are short-lived and typically end their lives in a supernova explosion, enriching the surrounding interstellar medium with heavy elements.