Doomed Star Eta Carinae
Image Credit: J. Morse (Arizona State U.), K. Davidson (U. Minnesota) et al., WFPC2, HST, NASA
Explanation: Eta Carinae may be about to explode. But no one knows when - it may be next year, it may be one million years from now.
Eta Carinae's mass - about 100 times greater than our
Sun - makes it an excellent candidate for a full blown
supernova. Historical records do show that about 150 years ago
Eta Carinae underwent an unusual outburst that made it one of the
brightest stars in the
southern sky.
Eta Carinae, in the
Keyhole Nebula, is the only
star currently
thought to emit natural LASER light. This
featured image, taken in 1996, brought out new details in the
unusual nebula that surrounds
this rogue star. Now clearly visible are two distinct lobes, a
hot central region, and strange radial streaks. The lobes are
filled with lanes of gas and
dust which absorb the blue and
ultraviolet light emitted near the center. The streaks remain
unexplained.
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