PIA20294: WFPC2 Image of the Variable Star Eta Carinae
 Mission:  Hubble Space Telescope
 Instrument:  WFPC2
 Product Size:  738 x 726 pixels (w x h)
 Produced By:  Space Telescope Science Institute
 Full-Res TIFF:  PIA20294.tif (1.338 MB)
 Full-Res JPEG:  PIA20294.jpg (44.83 kB)

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Original Caption Released with Image:

Astronomers cannot yet explain what caused the titanic eruption of star Eta Carinae in the 1840s. The discovery of likely Eta Carinae "twins" in other galaxies will help scientists better understand this brief phase in the life of a massive star.

The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and the European Space Agency. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore conducts Hubble science operations. STScI is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., in Washington.

For images and more information about Hubble, visit http://www.nasa.gov/hubble.

Image Credit:
NASA, ESA and the Hubble SM4 ERO Team

Image Addition Date:
2016-01-06