Portal:Astronomy/Picture/Week 12 2006

The Homunculus Nebula surrounds the super-massive star Eta Carinae, which lies within the larger H II region, the Eta Carinae Nebula. The Homunculus was ejected during an outburst from Eta Carinae in 1842, during which it became the second-brightest star in the sky for a while, second only to Sirius. Credit: Jon Morse/NASA