Doomed Star in Eta Carnia

Product Description
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 -
make 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 last September, 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?
Credit: HST Text: APOD