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Revealing the Explosive Heart of Eta Carinae


January 4, 2010

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Using adaptive optics to remove atmospheric blurring, Gemini Observatory released an image today showing previously hidden forensic secrets at the ballistic core of the Homunculus Nebula, part of the explosive Eta Carinae star system. The infrared image, revealed at the 215th American Astronomical Society meeting in Washington D.C., is a high-resolution view of the complex tendrils and puffs of glowing gas and dust surrounding the violent and convulsive death of an exceptionally massive star.Full Story

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The Gemini Observatory

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