Nebulae & clusters · Star-forming nebula

Carina Nebula

8,500 light-years · Light crosses it in 460 years

Across

460 light-years

Vs Earth

460 light-years across

Open Carina Nebula in Cosmic Scale

In the app, Carina Nebula is part of the Beyond pack.

About

The Carina Nebula is one of the largest and brightest star-forming clouds in the Milky Way, four times as large as the Orion Nebula. It is packed with some of the most massive stars known, including Eta Carinae.

Four times as large as the Orion Nebula and even brighter; Eta Carinae lives inside.

At a glance

Distance	8,500 light-years
Size	About 460 light-years
Famous resident	Eta Carinae
Seen from	The southern sky

Did you know

1. Webb's first images in 2022 included its 'Cosmic Cliffs'.
2. It contains clusters only half a million years old.
3. It is easily visible to the naked eye from the southern hemisphere.

Real photos

• The Cosmic Cliffs of the Carina Nebula — one of Webb's first images, 2022 — NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI (CC BY 4.0) · source
• Star birth in the Carina Nebula, a Hubble mosaic — NASA, ESA, N. Smith (University of California, Berkeley), and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) (CC BY 4.0) · source