Is Eta Carinae Getting Brighter??

[Bobj]

About 10 o'clock last night had a peek outside, so I decided to set up the dob at the back of my breezeway, attached the 25 mm ep and 'followed' the usual sights on offer in the south. The Jewel Box and Acrux, then Omega Centauri, these are always the first show; then moved on to Centaurus A. I swung the dob to Eta Carinae and, for the life in me, cannot remember seeing it so bright...which leads me to ask, is it getting brighter?

Cheers, Bobj.

PS. Living in the Mackay area, I can view 6 of the main stars in the Ursa Major constellation, (now, if I cut down the 3 palm trees across the road, I will be able to see all 7 stars, hmmmm;)), down to Musca. So, plenty of scope for the...er...'scope.

[Davekyn]

I'm no expert, But I too was blown away with NGC3372 the Eta Carinae Nebula (Carina)...First time I could "really make out the dust clouds" from my back yard (Toowoomba) with my 80ED/25mmEP-plossel.

It was also 10pm for me too. Apparently after reading up on it, the month of April will have it at it's best with 10pm the highest point in the sky.

After seeing how bright and ellements of dust, from my light polluted backyard, I imediately grabbed my recently purchased Bintel UHC filter and after giving it a chance to soak up the star light, was BLOWN away as if viewing M42 for the first time!!!

I attempted a sketch that I am still cleaning up in Paintshop pro, and am rather embarased to upload, but none the less, I am thinking of throwing in the 12" Dob & driving out of town for another sketch attempt.

YES......the Carina Nebula was quite a lovely suprise for me too! Could not agree more :)

Here is a list I came across for other targets this month:
NCG4755 (crux)
Arctiru (Bootes)
Spica (Virgo)
Regulas (Leo)
Procyon (Canis Major)
M44 Cancer
NGC 2244 (Monoceros)
NGC 5139 0mega Centauri (Centaurus)
The Coalsack (Crux)
NGC3372 the Eta Carina Nebula (Carina)

...This list is from the Book "Night Sky" (a comprehensive guide to the wonders of the universe-2007.
Not %100 sure on how accurate the emphasis on "-BEST(...with regard to southern hemisphere?)-this month is"...BUT...if the Carina Nebula is anything to go by, then these other targets should be pretty worth while this time of year.

Have a good day all...

[Coen]

Eta Car was once a very bright star (one of the brightest in the sky, naked eye speaking) back sometime in the 1800s (1840s it reached magnitude -1). It then faded from naked eye view until in the last 50+ years it has been gradually brightening.

See http://ar.geocities.com/varsao/Curva_Eta_Carinae.htm for discussions on its more recent variations (seems there might be a yearly pattern?)

Seems it might an eclipsing binary (X-ray) with predicted brightening: http://www.aavso.org/news/etacar.shtml

(X-ray info: http://asd.gsfc.nasa.gov/Michael.Corcoran/eta_car/etacar_rxte_lightcurve/index.html)

Wikipedia has some good info too: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eta_Carinae

[seeker372011]

I am certain it is in fact getting brighter.

Unfortunately I have not taken any photometric reading through April-thanks to this and that - but hope to do so again soon-maybe on Sunday if it is clear or Monday when it is supposedly going to be fine

[Robh]

Narayan. Greetings.
Should make all the variable star observers excited!
Great images you have there on flickr.
Regards, Rob.

[gb_astro]

I was looking at it a month ago with a CPC1100 at X350
from my Sydney backyard and was surprised at the detail I was seeing.
Thought it was just a lucky night of exceptional seeing.
Maybe not...

gb.

[Terry B]

It does vary a bit.
I have attached a plot of the last 1000days as on the AAVSO website.
Not really much change recently.