The Eta Carinae binary star system: the larger of the two stars in the system is a huge and unstable star that is nearing the end of its life, and it was observed in the 19th century becoming brighter until 1843, when this outburst occurred – its effects can be studied today. The huge clouds of matter thrown out a century and a half ago, known as the Homunculus Nebula, have been a regular target for the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. See https://www.spacetelescope.org/images/potw1208a/
