Gassy

Watch: Visualization reveals the drama of dying star Eta Carine

Roughly 180 years after astronomers spotted it, this massive star has been mapped out in all its glory.

by Jennifer Walter
Eta Carina, Eta Carinae (η Carinae, abbreviated to η Car), formerly known as Eta Argus
Shutterstock

Roughly 182 years ago, astronomers spotted an unexpected explosion in the sky.

NASA

Eta Carine became one of the most brilliant stars visible on Earth in the 1840s as it blew up 7,500 light years away.

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