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This spectacular Robert Gendler shot captures one of the Milky Way’s most enigmatic and exotic stars, Eta Carinae. It is the centrepiece and ionizing star of the Eta Carinae Nebula. Massive is an understatement as the great star weighs in at some 100 to 150 solar masses and shines with the light output of 5 million suns. Eta Carinae pushes the theoretical limits on energy output of stars and pumps out as much energy in 6 seconds as our sun does in an entire year. Because of its extraordinary mass the star is certainly expected to end as a great supernova in the near future. An energy outburst of this order could devastate star fields and planets within several thousand light years radius.

Credit: Robert Gendler.