Sakurai’s Object: A Stellar Rebirth

Yukio Sakurai observed Sakurai’s Object (V4334 Sagittarii) in 1996, noting its brightening from magnitude 21 to 11. The object is classified as a [WR] star, a low-mass variant of the Wolf-Rayet class, which is not typically seen in such a short timeframe. The star’s rapid brightening suggests a very late thermal pulse, a rare event where helium in the star reignites, leading to a rapid expansion and ejection of material. This process, observed in Sakurai’s Object, is one of the few known to occur within a few decades, offering a rare opportunity to study stellar evolution in real time. The star’s surface temperature is between 27,000 and 36,000 degrees Kelvin, and its evolution is being studied to understand how it reinvigorates after a thermal pulse. The paper highlights that Sakurai’s Object is a valuable laboratory for understanding stellar behavior in this rare class of stars. The star is expected to return to a white dwarf state, but under close observation as astronomers study its rapid evolution. The paper is by Marcolino et al (2026).

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