Eta Carinae Facts

• Eta Carinae is approximately 7,500 light years from Earth.
• It is a very rare hypergiant star with a mass more than a hundred times that of the sun.
• There are only ten other known stars in the entire galaxy that have a higher mass than Eta Carinae.
• The most massive star in the Milky Way is R136a1, which has over 250 times the mass of the sun.
• In 1843 Eta Carinae ejected a proportion of its mass in an event called a supernova imposter, shrouding the star in a cloud of gas and dust.
• In the few weeks following the event Eta Carinae was the second brightest star in the night sky.
• The cloud of gas and dust surrounding the star is known as the Humunculus nebula.
• Eta Carinae is expected to explode as a proper supernova in the next million years.
• Evidence suggest that Eta Cariane is actually a two star system although there is some debate around this theory.

---

The exact radius of Eta Cariane is difficult to gauge but it is a very large star indeed, if placed in the center of the solar system it would reach the orbit of Jupiter. Eta Carinae is one of the most massive stars in the milky way with an estimated mass of around 120 times that of the sun. Eta Carinae is estimated to have surface temperatures of around 40,000C (72,000F), seven times as hot as the sun. Due to its enormous mass Eta Carinae is around 5 million times more luminous than the sun!

---

Also Known As: Eta Carinae A

Distance From Earth: Approx 7,500 light years

Constellation: Carina

Star Type: Class O Hypergiant

Mass: 120 x Sun

Luminosity: Aprox 5 million times the Sun

Diameter: Approx 1 billion miles (1.6 billion km) - 1,150 x Sun

Temperature: Approx 40,000C (72,000F)

Age: Approx 3 million years old

Rotation Period: Unknown

---

---