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 the light from Eta Carinae's outburst illuminating the dust clouds near the doomed star system as it moves through them. The effect is like shining a flashlight on different regions of a vast cavern. The image was taken in February 2011 with the NOAO Optical Astronomy Observatory's Blanco 4-meter telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile.
Credits
NASA, NOAO, and A. Rest (STScI)| About The Object | |
|---|---|
| Object Name | Eta Carinae (Eta Car) Light Echo |
| Object Description | Light Echo Caused by the Massive/Variable Star Eta Car |
| R.A. Position | 10h 44m 12.12s |
| Dec. Position | -60° 16' 1.69" |
| Constellation | Carina |
| Dimensions | 7,500 light-years (2,300 parsecs) |
| About The Data | |
| Data Description | The science team studying the Eta Car light echo was led by A. Rest (STScI). This single-filter image of the light echo was taken in 2011 with the CTIO 4-m Blanco telescope. |
| Instrument | CTIO 4-m Blanco telescope |
| Exposure Dates | February 6, 2011 |
| About The Object | |
|---|---|
| Object Name | A name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object. |
| Object Description | The type of astronomical object. |
| R.A. Position | Right ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position. |
| Dec. Position | Declination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position. |
| Constellation | One of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears. |
| Distance | The physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs. |
| Dimensions | The physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky. |
| About The Data | |
| Data Description |
|
| Instrument | The science instrument used to produce the data. |
| Exposure Dates | The date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time. |
| Filters | The camera filters that were used in the science observations. |
| About The Image | |
| Image Credit | The primary individuals and institutions responsible for the content. |
| Publication Date | The date and time the release content became public. |
| Color Info | A brief description of the methods used to convert telescope data into the color image being presented. |
| Orientation | The rotation of the image on the sky with respect to the north pole of the celestial sphere. |
