Time after time 🪩⁣ ⁣ The Eta Carinae star system gives a front row seat to a stellar eruption that continues to expand at speeds up to 4.5 million miles per hour (7.2 million km per hour).⁣ ⁣ The "Great Eruption" seen on Earth in the 19th century produced a dense pair of spherical clouds on opposite sides of the system's two stars. Those clouds are now called the Homunculus Nebula.⁣ ⁣ This composite image and new video reveal important hints about Eta Carinae's volatile history. This includes the rapid expansion of the ring, and a previously-unknown faint shell of X-rays outside it.⁣ ⁣ Visual descriptions:⁣ ⁣ 1. The Homunculus Nebula is clearly seen in this composite image. NASAChandraXray data is depicted in orange, and optical light data from NASAHubble is shown in blue, purple and white. The explosion is shaped like an hourglass, or peanut shell, with bulbous ends and a narrow middle. The shell is a translucent mauve color, streaked with purple veins. Inside, at the narrow middle, ...