THE H-ALPHA ECHOES OF ETA-CARINAE FROM 1985 TO 1997

Spatially resolved, broad H alpha line profiles from both the luminous blue variable star eta Carinae (eta Car) and the surrounding filament ary Car II ('Keyhole') nebula, where they have been scattered and refl ected by dust, have been observed periodically from 1985 to 1997. The H alpha line profiles from eta Car in this 12-yr period show some, alb eit not dramatic, changes. The sharp and deep P Cygni-type absorption feature that was observed first in 1985 in the broad, scattered/reflec ted profiles from the surrounding Keyhole nebula is not present in any of the direct eta Car profiles. This distinctive feature is now shown to be spatially variable over the Keyhole nebula and most prominent a long the direction of the axis of the bipolar Homunculus nebula at PA 132 degrees. No evidence of any temporal variability of this sharp fea ture has been found in 12 yr of monitoring, even from the mo st well-d efined scattering/reflecting cloud along PA 132 degrees. It is conclud ed that a 46 degrees-wide cone of light from eta Car is relatively uno bscured along the axis of the Homunculus nebula and that this must be the consequence of a dense torus close to the star.