NASA Marshall Photo # eCAR1200dpi.jpg
The Chandra X-ray Observatory image shows the complex nature of the region around Eta Carinae, a massive supergiant star that is 7,500 light years from Earth. The outer horseshoe shaped ring has a temperature of about 3 million degrees Kelvin. It is about two light years in diameter and was probably caused by an outburst that occurred more than a thousand years ago. The blue cloud in the inner core is three light months in diameter and is much hotter. The white area, less than a light month in diameter, is the hottest and may contain the superstar.
PHOTO CREDIT: NASA/CXC/SAO
