Portal:Radiation astronomy/Image/6

Classified as a peculiar star, Eta Carinae exhibits a superstar at its center as seen in this image from Chandra X-ray Observatory. The new X-ray observation shows three distinct structures: an outer, horseshoe-shaped ring about 2 light years in diameter, a hot inner core about 3 light-months in diameter, and a hot central source less than 1 light-month in diameter which may contain the superstar that drives the whole show. The outer ring provides evidence of another large explosion that occurred over 1,000 years ago. Credit: Chandra Science Center and NASA.