Many astronomers predict that the star Eta Carinae, which is about 7,500 or more light years from Earth and has an estimated total mass equal to about 100 Suns, will explode as a supernova one day.
In the 19th century, Eta Carinae's apparent brightness increased dramatically and then faded. At least some of the cloud of dust and gas that surrounds the star and obscures it from view is thought to have been released at this time. Astronomers recently discovered that Eta Carinae has one or more companion stars.
Image: A composite optical and X-ray image of the turbulent star Eta Carinae (X-ray: NASA/CXC/GSFC/M.Corcoran et al.; Optical: NASA/STScI)
Prof Brian Cox simulates the strength of gravity on other planets through a human centrifuge in Holland.
Sir Patrick Moore and his guests discuss gamma ray bursts, which are thought to be caused by exploding massive stars. Could the star Eta Carinae emit a gamma ray burst one day?
Eta Carinae (η Carinae or η Car) is a stellar system in the constellation Carina, about 7,500 to 8,000 light-years from the Sun. The system contains at least two stars, one of which is a Luminous Blue Variable (LBV), which during the early stages of its life had a mass of around 150 solar masses, of which it has lost at least 30 since. It is thought that a Wolf-Rayet star of approximately 30 solar masses exists in orbit around its larger companion star, although an enormous thick red nebula surrounding Eta Carinae makes it impossible to see optically. Its combined luminosity is about four million times that of the Sun and has an estimated system mass in excess of 100 solar masses. It is not visible north of latitude 30°N and is circumpolar south of latitude 30°S. Because of its mass and the stage of life, it is expected to explode in a supernova or even hypernova in the astronomically near future.
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