Eta Carinae

About Eta Carinae: 

• It is a hypergiant star with a mass approximately 100 times that of our Sun.
• Location: It is located about 7,500 light-years away in the Carina Nebula, Eta Carinae is one of the most massive and luminous stars known to science, making it an excellent candidate for a supernova.
• Historical records reveal that about 170 years ago, the star underwent a significant outburst, known as the Great Eruption, which temporarily made it one of the brightest stars in the southern sky.
• This event created the Homunculus Nebula, a distinctive hourglass-shaped cloud of gas and dust that surrounds the star.
• Unique characteristics
  • It is the only known star to emit natural laser light, adding to its enigmatic nature.
  • Recently the Hubble Space Telescope highlight the intricate details of the surrounding nebula, including diffraction spikes and radial streaks, which remain unexplained.
  • Eta Carinae's eventual supernova will be a monumental event, potentially outshining any supernova observed in recent history, including SN 2006gy.
  • When it does explode, it will provide an extraordinary light show visible from Earth and offer invaluable insights into the life cycles of massive stars.\

Q1: What is a red dwarf star?

It is a type of low-mass star that is the most common type of star in the Milky Way galaxy. These stars are smaller and cooler than the Sun, with surface temperatures that range from about 2,200 to 3,500 Kelvin.

Source: A star is rearing to explode. Earth will get a front-row seat to mega event