Eta Carinae

Stellar Science

Sibling Rivalry Caused Eta Carinae's Historic Explosion

Faint echoes of light illuminate what really happened during the Great Eruption of the super-star Eta Carinae.

Homunculus Nebula

Stellar Science

Did Ancient Explosions Rock Eta Carinae?

New observations suggest this unstable star let off some steam before its famous 19th century “Great Eruption” . . . but there’s more to the story than meets the eye.