C
crazyeddie
Guest
"So the deathwatch continues." Perhaps in our lifetimes? Cool!
A Rogue Star Going Wild?
"Attention, astronomers! Please keep a close eye on Eta Carinae! It's acting up again."
OK, that's not exactly how Dan Green worded the announcement in IAU Circular 9094 on November 11th, but the gist of his alert was crystal clear. On August 19th Kris Davidson and Andrea Mehner (University of Minnesota), along with John Martin (University of Illinois at Springfield) and others, used the Hubble's Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) to show that one of the most massive and unstable stars known has surged in brightness over the past six months. Now at magnitude 5.1, it's fairly easy picking with the unaided eye for southern-sky observers. And there's every indication that more surprises are in the offing.
......Now there's evidence that X-rays created as outflowing winds from these heavyweight suns crash together have strengthened and gained energy, "a possible indicator that the star is entering a new unstable phase of mass loss," according to Michael Corcoran (USRA).
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/75160377.html
A Rogue Star Going Wild?
"Attention, astronomers! Please keep a close eye on Eta Carinae! It's acting up again."
OK, that's not exactly how Dan Green worded the announcement in IAU Circular 9094 on November 11th, but the gist of his alert was crystal clear. On August 19th Kris Davidson and Andrea Mehner (University of Minnesota), along with John Martin (University of Illinois at Springfield) and others, used the Hubble's Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) to show that one of the most massive and unstable stars known has surged in brightness over the past six months. Now at magnitude 5.1, it's fairly easy picking with the unaided eye for southern-sky observers. And there's every indication that more surprises are in the offing.
......Now there's evidence that X-rays created as outflowing winds from these heavyweight suns crash together have strengthened and gained energy, "a possible indicator that the star is entering a new unstable phase of mass loss," according to Michael Corcoran (USRA).
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/75160377.html