Eta Carina Spectrum Image Credit: Mike Corcoran, NASA/GSFC A deep (100 ksec) exposure of Eta Car was obtained with the ASCA SIS and GIS instruments on Jul 29 1996. This is the best X-ray spectrum yet obtained for Eta Car. Above is the "unfolded" SIS Eta Car spectrum which shows a highly absorbed, very high-temperature thermal component (at energies above 2 keV). The high temperature emission originates very close to the star itself, and is variable. It is probably produced by a shock as the wind from Eta Car collides with the wind or surface of an unseen companion. Eta Car also has considerable emission at energies below 1 keV, but this mainly originates in the extended emission surrounding the "homunculus", the nebula ejected from Eta Car in the 1840's. A larger GIF version of this is available. Search for an Image: (Enter the name of an object.) Additions or Comments: Have we left anything out? Is there something you would like to have added to this page (a link to your own group's research page, for example...)? IMAGES | By Mission | Stars | Cataclysmic Variables | X-ray Binaries | Pulsars | Supernova Remnants & Planetary Nebulae | Galaxies | Active Galactic Nuclei | Clusters and Groups of Galaxies | X-ray/gamma-ray Background & Deep Fields | Solar System Objects | Gamma Ray Bursts HEASARC Home | Observatories | Archive | Calibration | Software | Tools | Students/Teachers/Public Last modified: Thursday, 26-Jun-2003 13:48:45 EDT