| stellar wind |
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Mass loss from a star in the form of a continuous outflow of particles. Many cool supergiant stars have low-velocity winds, which can be detected in binary star systems where the wind is responsible for absorption lines in the spectrum of the companion star. However, the rate of mass loss is highest for the hottest stars which may, by means of a stellar wind blowing at hundreds or even thousands of kilometres per second, lose a significant fraction of their original mass over their lifetimes. See also: solar wind. |