Three space telescopes to study the Eta Carinae system
A new image portrays Eta Carinae bringing together observations in various bands of the electromagnetic spectrum from infrareds to X-rays thanks to the Hubble, Chandra, and Spitzer space telescopes. Each frequency offers some specific data on this pair of stars especially famous for the so-called Great Eruption that made it particularly bright for many years with a peak in 1843. The data put together also allowed to create 3D models of the Homunculus Nebula and gas and dust clouds surrounding the pair. This is useful research for astronomers to understand the evolution of Eta Carinae and also from an educational point of view within NASA’s Universe of Learning program.
