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Eta Carinae Light Echo Brightening – May 10, 2010

Eta Carinae Light Echo Brightening - May 10, 2010
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 the light from Eta Carinae's outburst illuminating the dust clouds near the doomed star system as it moves through them. The effect is like shining a flashlight on different regions of a vast cavern. The image was taken in March 2010 with the NOAO Optical Astronomy Observatory's Blanco 4-meter telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile.

About the Object

  • R.A. Position
    R.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.
    10h 44m 12.12s
  • Dec. Position
    Dec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.
    -60° 16' 1.69"
  • Constellation
    ConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.
    Carina
  • Distance
    DistanceThe 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 Description
    Data 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). This single-filter image of the light echo was taken in 2010 with the CTIO 4-m Blanco telescope.
  • Instrument
    InstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.
    CTIO 4-m Blanco telescope
  • Exposure Dates
    Exposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.
    May 10, 2010
  • Object Name
    Object NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
    Eta Carinae (Eta Car) Light Echo
  • Object Description
    Object DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.
    Light Echo Caused by the Massive/Variable Star Eta Car
  • Release Date
    February 15, 2012
  • Science Release
    Astronomers Watch Delayed Broadcast of a Powerful Stellar Eruption
  • Credit
    NASA, NOAO, and A. Rest (STScI)

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Details

Last Updated
Mar 28, 2025
Contact
Media

Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov