Proof positive that God loves rugby and that this is truly "The game played in Heaven." The illustration suggests that they ought to rename Eta Carinae to "Gilbert" or "Mitre." - Wes
European Southern Observatory Press Release 31/03
18 November 2003
For immediate release
Biggest Star in Our Galaxy Sits within a Rugby-Ball Shaped Cocoon
VLT Interferometer Gives Insight Into the Shape of Eta
Carinae
Summary
Ever since 1841, when the
until then inconspicuous southern star Eta Carinae underwent a spectacular
outburst, astronomers have wondered what exactly is going on in this unstable
giant star. However, due to its considerable distance - 7,500 light-years -
details of the star itself were beyond observation.
This star is known to be
surrounded by the Homunculus Nebula, two mushroom-shaped clouds ejected by the
star, each of which is hundreds of times larger than our solar system.
Now, for the first time,
infrared interferometry with the VINCI instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope
Interferometer (VLTI) enabled an international team of astronomers to zoom-in on the inner part of its stellar
wind. For Roy van Boekel, leader of the team, these results indicate that
"the wind of Eta Carinae turns out to be extremely elongated and the star
itself is highly unstable because of its fast rotation."