HE 3-519 - A PECULIAR POST-LBV, PRE-WN STAR

We report IUE and ground-based data indicating that the star He 3-519 has a distance of roughly 8 kpc and an absolute bolometric magnitude o f about -11, comparable to AG Car. Its luminosity, spectrum, and large , massive circumstellar shell indicate that this may be a post-LBV obj ect which has not yet become a full-fledged WN star. One notable pecul iarity of He 3-519 is its prominent Fe III (?) lambda3008 emission; th e reason why this feature is so bright in this star's dense envelope o r wind, but not in other related stars, is not yet clear.