The Immediate Surroundings of Eta Carinae

The mushroom-shaped clouds, known as the Homunculus Nebula, that surround the massive star Eta Carinae (Credit: NASA/ESA HST). To the right is an image obtained with the VLT NACO adaptive-optics camera that reveals the structure of the star's immediate surroundings. The central region displays a complex morphology of luminous objects.