In about 10 years, one of the most beautiful nebulae surrounding the star Eta Carinae will cease to delight us with its magnificence, as it will eclipse the brilliance of the central luminaries.
Part of the star Eta Carinae nature was discovered in 1847, when, during a giant eruption, it threw away the substance that formed the nebula called the homunculus (Latin – little man). This event made This Carina the second brightest star in the sky after Sirius, visible even in bright daylight and easily distinguishable from other equally unstable stars called bright blue variables.
The Eta Carinea star, surrounded by a bipolar nebula, is located at a distance of 7,500 light years from Earth. It is believed that it is a double hypergiant with an aggregate luminosity of both components of the system more than 5 million times greater than the solar one. The light from the central luminaries is strongly absorbed by the homunculus nebula, which consists of the substance of a greater star ejected during the Great Flare.
However, in a few years everything will change. A study by an international team of astronomers shows that the rapidly increasing brightness of this Kiel will eclipse the homunculus, since the star will be 10 times brighter than its surroundings. In this case, according to scientists, the increase in luminosity is not inherent in the star itself, but is caused by the dispersion of a dust cloud located exactly in front of the star, as viewed from Earth.
This cloud, according to the researchers, completely envelops Eta Carinae, absorbing most of its light directed at our telescopes. The homunculus nebula, on the contrary, is still visible well, because it is 200 times larger than the shading cloud, and, thus, its brightness practically does not change. But by 2032 (plus or minus four years) the dust cloud will dissipate, and the homunculus will be hidden behind the light of the central star.
Recently, many works have been published that reveal the secrets of this unique object, but our research is one of the most important. If we are right, we will soon be able to finally find out the true nature of the central star and show that this close binary system really consists of two very massive interacting luminaries.
-Anthony Moffat, co-author of the study from the University of Montreal (Canada)
Eta Carinae and it's surrounding
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