WR 102 is a Wolf–Rayet star—one of the most extreme stellar objects known—both extraordinarily luminous and intensely hot. Highly evolved and approaching the final stages of its life, this star is expected to explode as a supernova within the next 1,500 years, a remarkably short timescale in cosmic terms. Located roughly 7,500 light-years from Earth in the constellation Sagittarius, WR 102 is currently losing vast amounts of mass through ferocious stellar winds that compress and ionize the surrounding material, shaping the nearby nebula.

The star’s surface temperature exceeds 200,000°C, making it the hottest known star discovered to date—more than 36 times hotter than the Sun. WR 102 was first discussed as a potential optical counterpart to the X-ray source GX 3+1, but later observations revealed it to be a separate object. In 1971, astronomers identified it as an unusually luminous star distinguished by strong OVI emission lines in its spectrum. Subsequent narrowband infrared observations around 2 micrometers confirmed its Wolf–Rayet nature, with WR 102ka classified as WN10, and it was even proposed as a possible luminous blue variable at one stage of its evolution.

When WR 102 finally reaches the end of its life, it is predicted to explode as a Type II supernova, potentially leaving behind either a neutron star or collapsing directly into a black hole—a dramatic and violent conclusion befitting one of the most extreme stars in our galaxy.