| Observation data Epoch J2000 Equinox J2000 | |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Dorado |
| Right ascension | 05h38m 53.3783s[1] |
| Declination | −69° 02′ 00.896″[1] |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 11.11[2] |
| Characteristics | |
| Evolutionary stage | Wolf Rayet |
| Spectral type | WN5-6h + WN6-7h[3] |
| B−V color index | −0.13[2] |
| Astrometry | |
| Radial velocity (Rv) | 267.5±52.5[4] km/s |
| Proper motion (μ) | RA: 2.033[1] mas/yr Dec.: 0.926[1] mas/yr |
| Parallax (π) | 0.0107 ± 0.0226 mas[1] |
| Distance | 163,000 ly (49,970[5] pc) |
| Absolute magnitude (MV) | −7.96[6] |
| Details | |
| Mass | 80-170 + 95-205[3] M☉ |
| Luminosity | 4,500,000[6] – 6,300,000[3] L☉ |
| Temperature | 47,000[6] K |
| Age | <2[3] Myr |
| Other designations | |
Brey 89, BAT99 118, RMC 144, R144, CPD−69°462, 2MASS J05385338-6902007, HD 38282, GSC 09163-00992, | |
| Database references | |
| SIMBAD | data |
HD 38282 (R144, BAT99-118, Brey 89) is a massive spectroscopic binary star in the Tarantula Nebula (Large Magellanic Cloud), consisting of two hydrogen-rich Wolf-Rayet stars.
R144 is located near the R136 cluster at the center of NGC 2070 and may have been ejected from it after an encounter with another massive binary.[7] It shares a common X-ray cavity with the R146 (HD 269926) and R147 (HD 38344) Wolf-Rayet star systems.[8]
Both components of R144 are detected in the spectrum and both are WNh stars, very hot stars with strong emission lines due to their strong stellar winds. The orbit has not been determined, but is likely to be between two and six months long, possibly more if it is eccentric. The primary, slightly hotter, star is observed to be the less massive of the two.[3]
Each star is amongst the most luminous known, but the exact parameters of each has not been determined. Their combined luminosity is around 4,500,000 L☉[6] to 6,300,000 L☉.[3] The masses have not yet been calculated accurately from the orbital parameters, but the stars have been modelled to initially have been around 260 M☉ and 175 M☉. Depending on their exact age, this has now decreased to between 90 M☉ and 170 M☉ for the primary and 95 M☉ and 205 M☉ for the secondary.[3]
