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APOD
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
The Great Nebula in Carina
Explanation: What's happening in the center of the Carina Nebula? Stars are forming, dying, and leaving an impressive tapestry of dark dusty filaments. The entire Carina Nebula , cataloged as NGC 3372, spans over 300 light years and lies about 8,500 light-years away in the constellation of Carina. The nebula is composed predominantly of hydrogen gas, which emits the pervasive red glow seen in this highly detailed featured image . The blue glow in the center is created by a trace amount of glowing oxygen . Young and massive stars located in the nebula's center expel dust when they explode in supernovae. Eta Carinae , the most energetic star in the nebula's center, was one of the brightest stars in the sky in the 1830s, but then faded dramatically .
| Date | May 7, 2019 |
|---|---|
| Credit | Image Credit & Copyright: Dieter Willasch ( Astro-Cabinet ) |
| Authors & editors: | Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) |
| A service of: |
ASD at NASA / GSFC, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U. |