WR 140
Wolf-Rayet star, part of the SBC9 1232 binary system
WR 140 is a spectroscopic binary containing an O-type star and a Wolf–Rayet star. It is located in the constellation of Cygnus, lying in the sky at the centre of the triangle formed by Deneb, γ Cygni and δ Cygni.
Significance
WR 140 is thought to be a prototypical example of cosmic dust production. In this mode of cosmic dust production, detritus enriched in silicon and carbon is periodically blown into the wider universe by certain stars toward the end of their lives. Such stars are termed Wolf–Rayets.
The outermost layers of a Wolf–Rayet star are enriched in oxygen, nitrogen, silicon and carbon. Indeed, the spectrographic presence of these elements, along with a notable absence of hydrogen, were one of the original diagnostic criteria for classifying a star as Wolf–Rayet. It is these enriched layers of the photosphere that are lost in repeating pulses. Once distant from the surface, the carbon fraction of this ejected material begins to glow at approximately 1,000 K. The heating is due to the star's UV radiation, the wavelength of its greatest luminosity. This has the effect of rebroadcasting the star's UV radiation in the infrared, which can be detected by suitable telescopes, such as the James Webb Space Telescope.
The public source identifies “WR 140” as wolf-Rayet star, part of the SBC9 1232 binary system. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Wolf-Rayet, star and part.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “WR 140”, the useful work is to connect “wolf-Rayet star, part of the SBC9 1232 binary system” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 23, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q114632222. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
The absence of detail may reflect summary conventions rather than a lack of surviving documentation. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
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The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “WR 140”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow WR 140 primary sources, WR 140 archive and Wolf-Rayet research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
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Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “WR 140” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.