Thread: Carina Up Close
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Old 21-02-2021, 10:50 AM
TrevorW
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Carina Up Close

Carina Up close
Eta Carinae (η Carinae, abbreviated to η Car), formerly known as Eta Argus, is a stellar system containing at least two stars with a combined luminosity greater than five million times that of the Sun, located around 7,500 light-years (2,300 parsecs) distant in the constellation Carina. Previously a 4th-magnitude star, it brightened in 1837 to become brighter than Rigel marking the start of its so-called "Great Eruption". It became the second-brightest star in the sky between 11 and 14 March 1843 before fading well below naked eye visibility after 1856. In a smaller eruption, it reached 6th magnitude in 1892 before fading again. It has brightened consistently since about 1940, becoming brighter than magnitude 4.5 by 2014.



The two main stars of the Eta Carinae system have an eccentric orbit with a period of 5.54 years. The primary is a peculiar star, similar to a luminous blue variable (LBV), that was initially 150–250 Me of which it has lost at least 30 M already, and is expected to explode as a supernova in the astronomically near future.


Capture- 19/2/21 best 80% of 34X90s frames

Scope- GSO 10" CF Truss RC

Mount- Losmandy G11-g2

Camera- QHY 183c 20megapix colour CMOS

Guide/h- Orion SSAG on SVBony 60mm finder

Guide/s- PHD2

Stacked- DSS no darks

Proc- PS CS2
Attached Thumbnails
Click for full-size image (Carina 34 2000x1768.jpg)
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