Astronomers Watch Delayed Broadcast of a Powerful Stellar Eruption

ABOUT THIS IMAGE:

The double-star system Eta Carinae, about 120 times more massive than the Sun, produced a spectacular outburst that was seen on Earth from 1837 to 1858. This image shows an area near Eta Carinae that is not illuminated by the double-star system's outburst. The image was taken in March 2003 with the NOAO Optical Astronomy Observatory's Blanco 4-meter telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile.

Object Name: Carina Nebula

Image Type: Astronomical

Credit: NOAO, AURA, NSF, and N. Smith (University of Arizona)

NEWS RELEASE IMAGES

The above image is part of a montage:

Montage Image: Eta Carinae Light Echo Image Type: Astronomical/Annotated PRC2012-12a Eta Carinae Light Echo Brightening -- May 10, 2010 Image Type: Astronomical Eta Carinae Light Echo Brightening -- February 6, 2011 Image Type: Astronomical Carina Nebula Image Type: Astronomical

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