Luminous blue variable star undergoing an eruptive phase in Westerlund 1
 ;indicator name="01-sky-coordinates" ; ;templatestyles src="Template:Sky/styles.css" / ;Coordinates: &amp;show_grid=1&amp;show_constellation_lines=1&amp;show_constellation_boundaries=1&amp;show_const_names=1&amp;show_galaxies=1&amp;img_source=IMG_all 16h 47m 7.503s, −45° 52′ 29.152″ ;/indicator ;
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! style="text-align: center; background-color: #FFFFC0;" colspan="2" | Observation dataEpoch J2000      Equinox J2000
! style="text-align:left" | Constellation
! style="text-align:left" | Right ascension
! style="text-align:left" | Declination
! style="text-align:left" | Apparent magnitude (V)
! style="background-color: #FFFFC0; text-align: center;" colspan="2"| Characteristics
! style="text-align:left" | Spectral type
! style="text-align:left" | Apparent magnitude (J)
! style="text-align:left" | Apparent magnitude (H)
! style="text-align:left" | Apparent magnitude (K)
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Westerlund 1-243 or Wd 1-243 is a luminous blue variable (LBV) star undergoing an eruptive phase located within the outskirts of the super star cluster Westerlund 1. Located about from Earth, it has a luminosity of 0.73 million L☉ making it one of the most luminous stars known.
Observation.
Westerlund 1-243 is the second brightest star in Westerlund 1, behind only Westerlund 1-4.
It is one of several different hypergiant stars in Westerlund 1. It may also have a companion star, possibly an O-type supergiant.
Spectrum.
Westerlund 1-243 displays a complex, time-varying spectrum with emission lines of hydrogen, helium and Lyman-α pumped metals, forbidden lines of nitrogen and iron, and a large number of absorption lines from neutral and singly-ionized metals. Many lines are complex emission/absorption blends, with significant spectral evolution occurring on timescales of just a few days.
Properties.
Westerlund 1-243 has a temperature of ~8,500 K determined from modelling the absorption line spectrum. It has expanded to a radius of 376.9 R☉, and a Rosseland radius of 450 R☉. It is radiating at a luminosity of 730,000 L☉. It is losing mass at a rate of M☉/yr.
Evolution.
Westerlund 1-243 is believed to be either in an advanced pre-red supergiant LBV phase, or has evolved through the RSG phase and returned to the blue side of the HR diagram. In the future it is expected to evolve toward a WR phase. The K-band spectrum also implies a higher temperature than that of a typical yellow hypergiant and suggests that Westerlund 1-243 may be evolving back towards a hotter state.
References.
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