Eta Carinae
Product information
Description
Eta Carinae glows as a blue-white beacon within a dusty cloud of expelled material. Though not visible to the naked eye from most locations, telescopes reveal a dramatic and active star system veiled in nebulous shrouds.
Additional Information
- Constellation
- Carina
- Spectral Type
- LBV
- Apparent Magnitude
- 4.55
- Distance (Light Years)
- 7500
- Right Ascension
- 10h 45m 03.6s
- Declination
- −59° 41′ 04″
- Solar Masses
- 100
- Radius (Solar)
- 430
- Temperature (Kelvin)
- 35000
- Age (Million Years)
- 3
Discovery
- Ancient Civilizations
- Modern discovery
- Historical Significance
- Eta Carinae became famous in the 19th century after undergoing a dramatic eruption, temporarily becoming the second-brightest star in the sky. Its unusual variability has made it a key object in the study of stellar evolution and supernova precursors.
Cultural Significance
- Mythology
- As a relatively recent discovery, Eta Carinae has no ties to ancient mythologies.
- Navigation
- Due to its deep southern location and variable brightness, Eta Carinae was not historically used in traditional navigation.
- Modern Reference
- Eta Carinae is widely studied in modern astrophysics and appears frequently in documentaries, science articles, and educational material about stellar outbursts and massive stars.
Notable Features
- Stellar Motion
- Eta Carinae shows motion relative to the background stars, but is primarily noted for its extreme brightness variability and eruptions.
- Additional Fact
- Surrounded by the Homunculus Nebula, Eta Carinae is part of a highly unstable stellar system expected to end in a powerful supernova or hypernova.
User Dedications
- Dedications
- This star has not been claimed yet. Be the first to dedicate it to someone special!