MWC 137

MWC 137

A light curve for MWC 137, plotted from TESS data
Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox ICRS
Constellation Orion
Right ascension 06h 18m 45.522s
Declination +15° 16′ 52.24″
Apparent magnitude (V) 11.47 to 11.62
Characteristics
Evolutionary stage Supergiant
Spectral type sgB[e]
B−V color index 1.700±0.495
Variable type pulsating
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)+652.92±0.02 km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: −0.294 mas/yr
Dec.: −0.510 mas/yr
Parallax (π)0.194±0.0256 mas
Distance17,000±4,600 ly
(5,200±1,400 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)−7.2
Details
Mass37+9
−5 M☉
30 to 70 M☉
Radius26+29
−9 R☉
Luminosity690,000 L☉
Temperature28,200 K
Rotational velocity (v sin i)95.3 km/s
Age4.7±0.7 Myr
Other designations
V1308 Ori, HIP 29988, IRAS 06158+1517, 2MASS J06184553+1516522
Database references
SIMBADdata

MWC 137 is a supergiant star in the equatorial constellation of Orion. It has the variable star designation V1308 Ori; MWC 137 is from the Mount Wilson Catalogue published in 1933. The star is located at a distance of about 17.0 ± 4.6 thousand light-years (5.2 ± 1.4 kpc), at the center of the filamentary nebula Sh 2-266.

Properties

This is a massive B[e] star that displays radial pulsational variabilities with a dominant period of around 1.9 days. Evolutionary models show it to be near or in its post main sequence stage. The star displays a jet – a large, collaminated outflow, which suggests the presence of an accretion disk. An X-ray source detected by the SWIFT observatory may be associated with MWC 137, which suggests the presence of a neutron star companion.

MWC 137 has a stellar classification of sgB[e], where 'sg' indicates it is a supergiant-type B[e] star. The mass is uncertain, but lies in the range of 30 to 70 times the mass of the Sun. In 2021, M. Kraus and associates found a mass estimate of roughly 37 solar masses. It is radiating 690,000 times the luminosity of the Sun from its photosphere at an effective temperature of 28,200 K.

This star is located at the center of the filamentary nebula Sh 2-266, which is elliptical in shape and spans an angular size of 80′ × 56′. This has the form of a ring nebula, possibly as the result of stellar winds interacting with the interstellar medium or ejected matter. A bow-shaped feature was discovered in 2021, at a position angle of 225°–245° at an angular separation of 80″ from MWC 137. The star is directly associated with an H II region that spans an angular size of one arcminute.

References

  1. ↑ "MAST: Barbara A. Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes". Space Telescope Science Institute. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
  2. 1 2 Anderson, E.; Francis, Ch. (2012), "XHIP: An extended hipparcos compilation", Astronomy Letters, 38 (5): 331, arXiv:1108.4971, Bibcode:2012AstL...38..331A, doi:10.1134/S1063773712050015. XHIP record for this object at VizieR.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Vallenari, A.; et al. (Gaia collaboration) (2023), "Gaia Data Release 3. Summary of the content and survey properties", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 674: A1, arXiv:2208.00211, Bibcode:2023A&A...674A...1G, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202243940, S2CID 244398875. Gaia DR3 record for this source at VizieR.
  4. ↑ Samus', N. N.; Kazarovets, E. V.; Durlevich, O. V.; Kireeva, N. N.; Pastukhova, E. N. (2017). "General catalogue of variable stars: Version GCVS 5.1". Astronomy Reports. 61 (1): 80. Bibcode:2017ARep...61...80S. doi:10.1134/S1063772917010085.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Parida, Sugyan; et al. (June 2024), "Instabilities in Models of Supergiants MWC 137 and MWC 314", Proceedings of the 3rd BINA Workshop on the Scientific Potential of the Indo-Belgian Cooperation, Bulletin de la Société Royale des Sciences de Liège, vol. 93, pp. 552–559, arXiv:2401.09046, Bibcode:2024BSRSL..93..552P, doi:10.25518/0037-9565.11790.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Mehner, A.; et al. (January 2016), "VLT/MUSE discovers a jet from the evolved B[e] star MWC 137", Astronomy & Astrophysics, 585, id. A81, arXiv:1511.02289, Bibcode:2016A&A...585A..81M, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201527180.
  7. 1 2 Jönsson, Henrik; et al. (2020). "APOGEE Data and Spectral Analysis from SDSS Data Release 16: Seven Years of Observations Including First Results from APOGEE-South". The Astronomical Journal. 160 (3): 120. arXiv:2007.05537. Bibcode:2020AJ....160..120J. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/aba592.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Kraus, Michaela; et al. (October 2021), "Resolving the Circumstellar Environment of the Galactic B[e] Supergiant Star MWC 137.II. Nebular Kinematics and Stellar Variability", The Astronomical Journal, 162 (4), id. 150, arXiv:2106.15981, Bibcode:2021AJ....162..150K, doi:10.3847/1538-3881/ac1355.
  9. ↑ "MWC 137", SIMBAD, Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg, retrieved 2025-07-19.
  10. ↑ Merrill, Paul W.; Burwell, Cora G. (September 1933), "Catalogue and Bibliography of Stars of Classes B and A whose Spectra have Bright Hydrogen Lines", Astrophysical Journal, 78: 87, Bibcode:1933ApJ....78...87M, doi:10.1086/143490.
  11. ↑ Parida, Sugyan; et al. (January 2024), "On the stability and pulsation in models of B[e] star MWC 137", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 527 (3): 7414–7423, arXiv:2311.12549, Bibcode:2024MNRAS.527.7414P, doi:10.1093/mnras/stad3626.
  12. ↑ Mehner, A.; et al. (February 2017), "The Jet from MWC 137 Points at a Supergiant B[e] Star in a Binary", in Miroshnichenko, Anatoly; et al. (eds.), The B[e] Phenomenon: Forty Years of Studies. Proceedings of a Conference held at Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic 27 June – 1 July 2016, ASP Conference Series, vol. 508, San Francisco: Astronomical Society of the Pacific, p. 267, Bibcode:2017ASPC..508..267M.
  13. ↑ Ciatti, F.; Mammano, A. (February 1975), "Ejection of nebulae by BQ radiostars with infrared excess", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 38: 435, Bibcode:1975A&A....38..435C.
  14. ↑ Esteban, Cesar; Fernandez, Matilde (July 1998), "S266: a ring nebula around a Galactic B[e] supergiant?", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 298 (1): 185–192, Bibcode:1998MNRAS.298..185E, doi:10.1046/j.1365-8711.1998.01610.x.
  15. ↑ Fuente, A.; et al. (November 2003), "First Evidence of Dusty Disks around Herbig Be Stars", The Astrophysical Journal, 598 (1): L39–L42, arXiv:astro-ph/0310062, Bibcode:2003ApJ...598L..39F, doi:10.1086/380296.

Further reading

  • Kraus, Michaela; et al. (November 2017), "Resolving the Circumstellar Environment of the Galactic B[e] Supergiant Star MWC 137 from Large to Small Scales", The Astronomical Journal, 154 (5), id. 186, arXiv:1709.06439, Bibcode:2017AJ....154..186K, doi:10.3847/1538-3881/aa8df6.
  • Alimardanova, F.; et al. (February 2017), "Spectroscopy and Photometry of MWC 137", in Miroshnichenko, Anatoly; et al. (eds.), The B[e] Phenomenon: Forty Years of Studies. Proceedings of a Conference held at Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic 27 June – 1 July 2016, ASP Conference Series, vol. 508, San Francisco: Astronomical Society of the Pacific, p. 355, Bibcode:2017ASPC..508..355A.
  • Kraus, M.; et al. (February 2017), "Clumpy Molecular Structures Revolving the B[e] Supergiant MWC 137", in Miroshnichenko, Anatoly; et al. (eds.), The B[e] Phenomenon: Forty Years of Studies. Proceedings of a Conference held at Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic 27 June – 1 July 2016, ASP Conference Series, vol. 508, San Francisco: Astronomical Society of the Pacific, p. 381, arXiv:1610.05596, Bibcode:2017ASPC..508..381K.
  • Muratore, M. F.; et al. (January 2015), "Evidence of the Evolved Nature of the B[e] Star MWC 137", The Astronomical Journal, 149 (1), id. 13, arXiv:1409.7550, Bibcode:2015AJ....149...13M, doi:10.1088/0004-6256/149/1/13.
  • Kondratyeva, L. N. (2007), "The Object MWC 137", Odessa Astronomical Publications, 20: 86, Bibcode:2007OAP....20...86K.