Cerro Tololo | NOAO Gemini Science Center | Kitt Peak
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Cerro Tololo | NOAO Gemini Science Center | Kitt PeakGSMT | LSST | Data Products | System Instrumentation | O/IR System |
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Probing a New Type of Stellar Explosion | A U.S. astronomer using the Gemini South and Blanco telescopes in Chile has added a startling new clue to the ongoing mystery over the "engine" of the historical 1843 outburst of Eta Carinae, a bright star in the southern skies. The new observations by Nathan Smith of the University of California, Berkeley, reveal faint but extremely fast material indicative of a powerful shock wave produced by the 1843 event, suggesting that its driving mechanism was an explosion rather than a steady wind. The result is featured in the September 11, 2008 issue of the journal Nature. For more, see the Gemini Press Release. Link to previous homepage images. |
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