| FORAMEN | |
| Eta Carina- the Ship Argo Navis | |
| 20LIB47. | 22LIB09. |
| -59.10'. | -59.40'. |
| 10h44m. | -58.55'. |
| P. | 1.9 VAR. |
History of the star: A star in the stern of the Ship Argo Navis. Foramen is an irregularly variable star, 1 to 7.4, reddish, and lies in the Carina (Keel) subdivision of Argo, invisible from north of the 30th parallel.
This is one of the most
noted objects in the heavens, perhaps even so in almost prehistoric times, for
in Babylonian inscriptions, a star, noticeable for occasional faintness in its
light is referred to; that is thought to be this star. It lies at the heart of a
cloud of gas and dust called the Keyhole Nebula from its
characteristic features. Eta Carinae is a luminous blue variable star that looks
for all the universe like a star that has just blown itself to pieces.
It started as a fourth magnitude star and by April 1843, this supermassive blue
star brightened up enough that it was the second-brightest star in the sky
(apparently outshining Canopus and by some accounts Sirius). Since then, it has
dimmed down, but continues to intrigue astronomers. We know that the star is
highly unstable and prone to extremely violent outbursts. For years, it was
considered an unusual type of nova (a star that undergoes outbursts and
brightens for a short period of time). Now, some think it is only a matter of
time before Eta Carinae -- which is losing mass at a tremendous rate --
collapses and ultimately explodes out as a supernova.
Recently astronomers have discovered a gas cloud that acts as a natural
ultraviolet laser, near this huge, unstable star. The super-laser was identified
and during spectroscopic observations made with the Goddard High Resolution
spectrograph aboard NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.
Since it is unlikely that a single beam from the cloud would happen to be
precisely aimed in earth's direction, the astronomers conclude that numerous
beams must be radiating from the cloud in all directions - like beams from a
dance hall mirror-ball.
A laser, (an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of
Radiation) creates an intense coherent beam of light. Lasers are very rare in
space and nothing like the UV laser has ever been seen before.
Babylonian inscriptions seem to refer to a star, noticeable from occasional faintness in its light, believed to be this star Foramen and to be one of the temple stars associated with Ea or Ia of Eriidhu the "Lord of the Waves", otherwise known as Oannes, the mysterious human fish and greatest god of the kingdom. Oannes was known as the teacher of early man in all knowledge; and in mythology he was the creator of man and the father of Tammuz and Ishtar, themselves associated with other stars and sky figures. Nunki (Nunki), or Nunpe, the Holy City, one of the oldest cities in the world, even in ancient Babylonia, was that kingdom's flourishing port on the Persian Gulf. In its vicinity the Babylonians located their sacred Tree of Life
[Source,
and
Star Names,
Their Lore and Meaning, Richard Hinchley Allen, 1889].
No myths or interpretations are associated with the constellation Carina because it was not visible to the ancients in the northern hemisphere, and it had always been seen as part of the constellation Argo Navis, the Great Ship, until French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in 1752 subdivided Argo Navis into Carina (the keel of the ship), Puppis (the poop), and Vela (the sails), plus a subordinate division of Argo now called Pyxis Nautica.
The general astrological influences of the star: It causes peril, dignity, piety, usefulness and acquisitiveness, and gives danger to the eyes. (Robson*).Sun: Danger of shipwreck. (Robson*).
References
*(Fixed Stars and Constellations in Astrology , Vivian E. Robson, 1923)