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Compass and Scale Image of Eta Carinae Light Echo
About the Object
- R.A. PositionR.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.10h 44m 12s.127
- Dec. PositionDec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.-60° 16' 01".69
- ConstellationConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.Carina
- DistanceDistanceThe 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.7,500 light-years (2,300 parsecs)
About the Data
- Data DescriptionData DescriptionProposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. "PI" refers to the Principal Investigator.The science team studying the Eta Car light echo was led by A. Rest (STScI). The color image (left) of a portion of the Carina Nebula was taken with the CTIO Curtis Schmidt telescope on February 25, 2000. The filter and color assignments are as follows: oxygen (blue), hydrogen (green), and sulfur (red). The single-filter images of the light echo (below right) were taken in 2003, 2010, and 2011 with the CTIO 4-m Blanco telescope. - InstrumentInstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.CTIO Curtis Schmidt telescope (color image), and CTIO 4-m Blanco telescope (grayscale images)
- Exposure DatesExposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.February 25, 2000 (color image), and March 10, 2003, May 10, 2010 and February 6, 2011 (grayscale images)
- Object NameObject NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.Carina Nebula
- Object DescriptionObject DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.Carina Nebula and Light Echo Caused by the Massive/Variable Star Eta Car
- Release DateFebruary 15, 2012
- Science ReleaseAstronomers Watch Delayed Broadcast of a Powerful Stellar Eruption
- CreditIllustration: NASA, ESA, and Z. Levay (STScI); Image: NASA, NOAO, and A. Rest (Space Telescope Science Institute)
Blue: oxygen Green: hydrogen Red: sulfur
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Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov
