Free Astronomy Magazine May-June 2022

16 MAY-JUNE 2022 ASTRO PUBLISHING E ta Carinae, or Eta Car, is famous for a brilliant and unusual outburst, called the “Great Eruption,” observed in the 1840s. This visualization presents the story of that event and examines the re- sulting multiwavelength emis- sions and three-dimensional structures surrounding Eta Car today. Massive stars are known to have major out- bursts. Eta Car, one of the most massive stars known, ex- pelled about 10% of its mass in the Great Eruption, creating a small nebula, called the Ho- munculus Nebula, around it. Images taken in different wavelengths of light reveal different structures, each providing more information about the outbursts of Eta Car. For this visualization, astronomers and artists have used NASA observations to model both the close-up and wide views of this massive and eruptive star. The Hubble Space Telescope and the Chandra X-ray Observatory have observed the nested layers of gas and dust around Eta Car using visible, ultraviolet, and X-ray light, as well as in the Hydrogen alpha emission line. The Spitzer Space Tele- scope provides a larger view of the Carina Nebula, along with Eta Car’s dominant position within this star-forming region. This visualization is presented by the AstroViz Project of NASA’s Universe of Learning. Viewers gain appreciation for how the observations from two centuries ago connect to the resulting structures seen today. Full 360-degree 3D views help to assemble a complete mental model that aids interpretation of the NASA observations. Eta Car serves as a notable example of the outbursts in the dying stages of massive stars. [Visualization: NASA, ESA, Joseph Olmsted (STScI), Dani Player (STScI), Leah Hustak (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI), Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Greg T. Bacon (STScI), Frank Summers (STScI), Robert L. Hurt (IPAC). Image: NASA, ESA, STScI, NASA-JPL, Caltech, CXC, ESO, NOAO, AURA, NSF, Akira Fujii , Jon A. Morse (BoldlyGo Institute), Nathan Smith (University of Arizona), SM4 ERO Team. Music: Joseph DePasquale (STScI)] ! In addition, Eta Car is extremely bright at infrared wavelengths, and its radiation impacts the much larger Carina Nebula where it re- sides. Working with NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope observations, the team was able to place Eta Car in context of the dazzling infrared view of the star-forming region. “Spitzer’s infrared image lets us peer through the dust that obscures our view in visible light to reveal the intricate details and extent of the Carina Nebula around this brilliant star,” commented Robert Hurt, lead visualization scientist at Caltech/ IPAC and team member. Extending the goals of NASA’s Uni- verse of Learning, the visualization assets promote learning beyond the video sequence. “We can take these models like the one for Eta Car and use them in 3D printing and aug- mented reality programs,” noted Kim Arcand, visualization lead scien- tist at the Chandra X-ray Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. “This means more people can put their hands on the data – literally and vir- tually – and this makes for better learning and engagement.” Eta Carinae is one of the most mas- sive stars known. These exceptional stars are prone to outbursts during their lives. They will end their lives by collapsing into a black hole, probably accompanied by a super- nova explosion. Eta Car is one of the nearest and best studied examples for learning about the energetic life and death of very massive stars. NASA’s Universe of Learning is part of the NASA Science Activation pro- gram. The Science Activation program con- nects NASA science experts, real con- tent and experiences, and commu- nity leaders in a way that activates minds and promotes deeper under- standing of our world and beyond. Using its direct connection to the sci- ence and the experts behind the sci- ence, NASA’s Universe of Learning provides resources and experiences that enable youth, families, and life- long learners to explore fundamen- tal questions in science, experience how science is done, and discover the universe for themselves.