RW Cephei

~ 500,000 L ☉

RW Cephei is a hyper giant. He is the most luminous star of the star Cep OB1 association, which can be found in the constellation Cepheus in the northern hemisphere.

With the multiple star system SU Lacertae RW Cephei is an apparent double star, he is however in a much greater distance.

Name

The first part of the name "RW " follows the rules for naming variable stars and states that RW Cephei is the fifteenth variable star, which was discovered in the constellation Cepheus. The second part of the name " Cephei " is the genitive of the Latin name of the constellation Cepheus.

Physical Properties

RW Cephei probably heard on a late - G spectral type (G8 Ia) or early K- type (K Ia). RW Cephei is a hyper giant and one of the brightest stars at all. The mass of RW Cephei is about 40 solar masses. Such stars consume their nuclear fuel early, they are only a few million years old before they explode as a supernova, or as a hitherto hypothetical Hypernova and eventually end up as pulsars or neutron stars or even black holes.

The variable star RW Cephei is one of the semi- regular variables ( semiregular stars).