Eta Carinae
“ASTRONOMERS BELIEVE IT’S LIKELY TO BE THE NEXT STAR IN OUR GALAXY TO EXPLODE”
There was a time, about 180 years ago, when Eta Carinae became the second-brightest star in the southern sky. Observed around 1843 in the constellation Carina (the Keel), the supermassive star experienced an enormous celestial outburst, the cause of which has long since been a mystery.
Occurring between 1837 and 1858, the event became known as the Great Eruption, causing the star to become ever brighter until it eventually faded to the point it could no longer be seen by the naked eye. Intriguingly, it released as much visible light as a supernova explosion, but unlike novae and supernovae, the brightness remained for some time. It also didn’t die.
Over the years we’ve come to learn more about Eta Carinae, the star once known as Eta Argus. Having brought us
