Blast Wave from 1843 Eruption of Eta Carinae (IMAGE)

University of California - Berkeley

Blast Wave from 1843 Eruption of Eta Carinae

Caption

An artist's conception of the fast blast wave from Eta Carinae's 1843 eruption, which today has caught up with a slow-moving shell ejected in a previous outburst about 1,000 years ago, producing a bright fireworks display that heats the older shell and makes it emit X-rays (orange). The well-known two-lobed "Homunculus" nebula, a slow-moving shell of gas and dust also produced in the 1843 eruption, is shown closer to the star, which is a hot blue supergiant.

Credit

Gemini Observatory artwork by Lynette Cook

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