Eta Carinae, Eta Car

7,500 light-years (2,300 parsecs)

This image is 0.6 arcminutes (1.2 light-years or 0.4 parsecs) wide.

The Hubble images were created from data from proposals 11500: K. Noll (STScI) and 11506: K. Noll (STScI), B. Woodgate (NASA/GSFC), C. Proffitt (STScI/CSC), and T. Gull (NASA/GSFC).

Acknowledgments for Eta Car
Observers: K. Noll (STScI), B. Woodgate (NASA/GSFC), C. Proffitt (STScI/CSC), and T. Gull (NASA/GSFC)
Data Analysis: M. Mutchler (STScI)
Image Composition: Z. Levay and L. Frattare (STScI)
Text: D. Weaver and R. Villard (STScI)
Illustrations: Z. Levay (STScI)
Video: G. Bacon (STScI)
Science Consultants: M. Livio (STScI) and T. Gull (NASA/GSFC)

F336W (U), F502N ([O III]), F631N ([O I]), F656N (H-alpha), and F658N ([N II])

NASA, ESA, and the Hubble SM4 ERO Team

The image is a composite of separate exposures made by the WFPC2 instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope. Five filters were used to sample narrow wavelength ranges. The color results from assigning different hues (colors) to each monochromatic image. In this case, the assigned colors are:

Red: F658N ([N II])
Yellow: F656N (H-alpha)
Green: F631N ([O I])
Cyan: F502N ([O III])
Blue: F336W (U)