Using the James Webb Space Telescope, researchers have identified Wolf-Rayet stars as a major source of cosmic dust, which plays a vital role in star and planet formation as well as organic molecule development.

The study focused on the dusty envelopes around dying Wolf-Rayet stars to understand how they produce and distribute cosmic dust into the interstellar medium.

As these stars die, their powerful stellar winds interact with nearby massive stars, condensing into carbon-rich dust shells, a process previously observed only around WR-140.

The research found that dust expelled by Wolf-Rayet stars travels at speeds comparable to stellar winds, forming structures similar to those seen in the WR-140 system, and these dust shells can survive for over 130 years, with some over 300 years old.

This longevity and resilience of the dust in harsh space environments suggest that Wolf-Rayet stars significantly contribute to the interstellar medium's material, influencing future star formation.

Led by Dr. Noel Richardson and published in The Astrophysical Journal, the study examined how Wolf-Rayet stars produce and disperse carbon-rich dust into the galaxy.

The research primarily focused on five WCd Wolf-Rayet stars, a subtype known for their episodic dust formation linked to binary star interactions, confirming that this phenomenon is not unique to a single system.

Wolf-Rayet stars are massive, evolved stars nearing supernova, with temperatures between 30,000 and 200,000 Kelvin, and they are crucial for dispersing elements that aid in new star creation.

Recent observations have revealed complex shapes and long-lived dusty clumps around these stars, which could influence models of galactic dust and star formation.

The findings, published on July 7, 2025, in The Astrophysical Journal, highlight the importance of dust in stellar evolution and the lifecycle of matter in the galaxy.

Professor Noel Richardson emphasizes that Wolf-Rayet stars are in an advanced evolutionary stage, fusing helium in their cores and lacking hydrogen, which impacts their dust production processes.

These discoveries raise questions about the chemical composition and fate of the dust, prompting further spectral analysis to understand its role in the interstellar medium.

Wolf-Rayet stars are extremely hot and luminous, with temperatures reaching up to 200,000 Kelvin, outshining the Sun by millions of times, and their stellar winds are key to dust formation.