Researchers found likely Eta twins in four galaxies by comparing the infrared and optical brightness of each candidate source. Infrared images from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope revealed the presence of warm dust surrounding the stars. Comparing this information with the brightness of each source at optical and near-infrared wavelengths as measured by instruments on Hubble, the team was able to identify candidate Eta Carinae-like objects. Top: 3.6-micron images of candidate Eta twins from Spitzer's IRAC instrument. Bottom: 800-nanometer images of the same sources from various Hubble instruments.
Credits
NASA, ESA, and R. Khan (GSFC and ORAU)| About The Object | |
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| Object Description | Massive Stars Similar to Eta Carinae in Nearby Galaxies |
| About The Data | |
| Data Description | The HST data were taken from the following proposals: ; : N. Scoville (Caltech); J. Koda (Stony Brook); ; : K. Kunz (JHU); D. Calzetti (University of Massachusetts, Amherst); : J. Bregman (University of Michigan); : W. Blair (JHU) The science team for these findings includes: R. Khan (GSFC and ORAU), S. Adams, K. Stanek, and C. Kochanek (Ohio State University), and G. Sonneborn (GSFC and ORAU). Archival HST data was obtained along with data from the Spitzer IRAC 3.6-micron instrument. |
| Instrument | HST>ACS, HST>WFPC2, and HST>WFC3 |
| About The Image | |
| Compass Image |  |
| About The Object | |
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| 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 |
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| 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. |
