Doomed Star Eta Carinae
			
		
		
		
			Eta Carinae may be about to explode.  But no one knows when - it may be
next year, it may be one million years from now. 
Eta Carinae's mass - about
100 times greater than our Sun - 
makes it an excellent candidate for a full blown supernova.
Historical records do show that about 150 years
ago Eta Carinae underwent an unusual outburst that made it one of the brightest stars in the southern sky.  
Eta Carinae, in the 
Keyhole Nebula, is
the only star currently 
thought to emit natural LASER light. This
 image, taken in 1996, resulted from sophisticated
image-processing procedures designed to bring out new details in the
unusual nebula that surrounds 
this 
rogue star.  Now clearly visible are two
distinct lobes, a hot central 
region, and strange radial streaks. 
The lobes are filled with lanes of gas and dust which absorb the blue and
ultraviolet light emitted near the center.  The streaks remain unexplained.
Will these clues tell us how the nebula was formed?  
Will they better indicate when 
Eta 
Carinae will explode?