About this 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's 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's 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 Allen).

Notes: Oannes is usually identified with Capricorn and in particular the tail of the Goat, see Nashira and Deneb Algedi. Oannes' involvement with a star of Argo is not unlikely either because Argo is a talking ship, so this star could represent some aspect of Oannes, perhaps relating to the broadcasting of his teachings. Pallas/Athena, set in the prow of the ship, a piece from "the Speaking Oak of Dodona"; Zeus' oak tree, endowing Argo Navis with the power of warning and guiding the chieftains who form its crew, this oracular beam enabled the ship to speak. Argo Navis influences; communications, satellites, television, telephone, radio, newspapers, cinema.

Influence of the constellation:

Strength of mind and spirit. Prosperity in trade and voyages. Connected to death by drowning. (Robson).

Influence of the star:

It causes peril, dignity, piety, usefulness and acquisitiveness, and gives danger to the eyes. (Robson).

Sun: Danger of shipwreck. (Robson).