Eta Carinae

Eta Carinae is a stellar system in the constellation Carina, about 7,500 to 8,000 light-years from the Sun. The system contains at least two stars,... more

by Kim Sy Ok

Title

Eta Carinae

Artist

Kim Sy Ok

Medium

Digital Art

Description

Eta Carinae is a stellar system in the constellation Carina, about 7,500 to 8,000 light-years from the Sun. The system contains at least two stars, of which the primary is a luminous blue variable (LBV) that initially had around 150 solar masses, of which it has lost at least 30. A hot supergiant of approximately 30 solar masses is in orbit around the primary, although an enormous thick red nebula surrounding Eta Carinae makes it impossible to see this companion optically. The Eta Carinae system is enclosed in the Homunculus Nebula, itself part of the much larger Carina Nebula, and currently has a combined bolometric luminosity of over five million times the Sun's. It is not visible north of latitude 30￿N and is circumpolar south of latitude 30￿S. Because of its mass and the stage of its life, it is expected to explode in a supernova or hypernova in the astronomically near future.

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Uploaded

April 14th, 2013