This image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the 'Peony nebula' star. This blazing ball of gas shines with the equivalent light of 3.2 million suns. The reigning champ, Eta Carina, produces the equivalent of 4.7 million suns worth of light -though astronomers say these estimates are uncertain, and it's possible that the Peony nebula star could be even brighter than Eta Carina. If the Peony star is so bright, why doesn't it stand out more in this view? The answer is dust. This star is located in a very dusty region jam packed with stars. In fact, there could be other super bright stars still hidden deep in the stellar crowd. Spitzer's infrared eyes allowed it to pierce the dust and assess the Peony nebula star's true brightness .The Peony nebula, which surrounds the Peony nebular star, is the reddish cloud of dust in and around the white circle. Spitzer Space Telescope Mission. Image taken with the Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) and Multiband Imaging Photometer (MIPS).