The mystery of the great eruption of Eta Carinae in the 19th century

In the middle of the nineteenth century^H In the 20th century, astronomers noticed a great eruption on the side of what they call Eta Carinae. About 7,500 light-years from our Earth.

The mysterious system of Eta Carinae

Under this name there are actually two massive stars hidden. 30 to 90 times the mass of our Sun. Massive stars that were surprised in the 1840s by ejecting a huge amount of material. On the order of 10 to 45 times the mass of our star. Detection of a pair of gas clouds that researchers called the Homunculus Nebula.

Thanks to 20 years of data sent back by NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, astronomers now know more about this great eruption that rocked the Eta Carinae system. In particular, they discovered the shock wave effect.

Secrets of the great eruption of Eta Carinae volcano

What researchers are saying now in Astrophysical JournalIt’s the story of a double explosion – perhaps the result of two stars merging in what was originally a triple system. First, a small amount of fast, low-density gas is ejected. Then there was a slower ejection of dense gas whose shock wave heated the material to millions of degrees before the big explosion eventually formed the dwarf nebula.