Eta Carinae, a star that exploded casts off debris

The massive star Eta Carinae (almost hidden in the centre) underwent a giant explosion some 150 years ago. The outburst spread the material that is visible today in this very sharp Hubble image. Even though Eta Carinae is more than 8000 light-years away, you can resolve structures of only 15-thousand-million kilometres width (about the diameter of our Solar System) . Dust lanes, tiny condensations, and strange radial streaks al appear with unprecedented clarity.