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
170 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 brings out details in
the unusual nebula that surrounds this rogue star. Diffraction
spikes, caused by the telescope, are visible as bright multi-colored
streaks emanating from Eta Carinae’s center. Two distinct lobes of the Homunculus
Nebula encompass the hot central region, while some strange radial
streaks are visible in red extending toward the image right. The lobes
are filled with lanes of gas and dust which
absorb the blue and ultraviolet light emitted near the center. The streaks,
however, remain unexplained.
Image & info via APOD
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble; Processing & License: Judy Schmidt
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