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.
Credits
NOAO, AURA, NSF, and N. Smith (University of Arizona)| 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 |
| Distance | 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 2003 with the CTIO 4-m Blanco telescope. |
| Instrument | CTIO 4-m Blanco telescope |
| Exposure Dates | March 10, 2003 |
| 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. |
