Ep. 786: Wolf-Rayet Stars

About this episode

This episode discusses Wolf-Rayet stars, their characteristics, and their role in the universe before they explode as supernovae.

Hosted by: Fraser Cain (@frasercain) and Dr. Pamela L. Gay (@CosmoQuest) Streamed live on Mar 9, 2026. You think the Sun is a terrifying ball of fire and fury? Wait until you learn about today’s topic: Wolf-Rayet stars! These are massive, dying stars hurling their outer layers out into space before detonating as supernovae. Big stars live brief lives, and Wolf-Rayet stars are the punctuation mark we see before things go supernova. Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Science: Yinuo Han (Caltech), Ryan White (Macquarie University); Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI) Learn more here: https://science.nasa.gov/asset/webb/w... This show is supported through people like you on Patreon.com/AstronomyCast In this episode, we'd like to thank: Burry Gowen, Eric Lee, Jeanette Wink, Michael Purcell, Andrew Poelstra, David, David Rossetter, Ed, Gerhard Schwarzer, Jason Kwong, Joe McTee, Sergey Manouilov, Siggi Kemmler, Sergio Sancevero

People in this episode

Hosts: Fraser Cain, Dr. Pamela L. Gay

Topics covered

• Wolf-Rayet stars
• supernovae
• massive stars
• stellar evolution
• astronomy

Keywords

• Wolf-Rayet stars
• supernova
• massive stars
• stellar evolution
• astronomy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI

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