The Eta Carinae Nebula | ESO

The Eta Carinae Nebula | ESO

The Eta Carinae Nebula or Carina Nebula (cataloged as NGC 3372; also known as the Great Carina Nebula) is a large, complex area of bright and dark nebulosity in the constellation Carina, located in the Carina–Sagittarius Arm of the Milky Way galaxy. The nebula is approximately 8,500 light-years from Earth. Within the Carina Nebula is the supergiant star Eta Carinae. It has a mass about 100 times greater than our Sun. It is an excellent candidate for a future supernova.  

This image is a color composite made from exposures from the Digitized Sky Survey 2 (DSS2). The field of view is approximately 4.7 x 4.9 degrees.

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)/Digitized Sky Survey 2

Acknowledgment: Davide De Martin

Image Date: November 16, 2011

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