Episode 2 of 2
Peak Brightness
- When
- 11-14 March 1843
- Where
- Cape of Good Hope (observation site)
Eta Carinae became the second-brightest star in the night sky between 11 and 14 March 1843, surpassing Canopus.
The Great Eruption began in 1837. In March 1843, observations at the Cape of Good Hope indicated the star peaked in brightness, surpassing Canopus. It likely reached an apparent magnitude of -0.8 during this peak.
Sources
- Eta Carinae Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-03
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.