2 Gamma Velorum

An explosion of multiple stars

Gamma Velorum is not one star, but at least four or even six. Known by its Arabic name of ‘Suhail’ or as ‘Regor’ in honour of Apollo 1 astronaut Roger Chaffee, its brightest members are the binary pairing of Gamma Velorum A.

Situated 1,096 light years from us, this duo hosts a blue supergiant and the nearest known example of a ‘Wolf-Rayet’ star. Wolf-Rayet stars are characterised by high stellar winds and extreme surface temperatures and tend to lose mass quickly, usually within a million years or so. In Gamma Velorum A’s case, the Wolf-Rayet star may have already stripped itself down from 40 solar masses to its present state of nine solar masses. Although it is probably no older than 5.5 million years, it is at an advanced state of age and is expected to meet its end as a Type Ib or Ic supernova.