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.

2022 April 25
The featured image shows a central region of IC 2944, 
the Running Chicken Nebula. Visible are stars and dense 
clouds that form stars one day. 
Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

The Great Nebula in Carina
Image Credit & Copyright: Ignacio Javier Diaz Bobillo

Explanation: In one of the brightest parts of Milky Way lies a nebula where some of the oddest things occur. NGC 3372, known as the Great Nebula in Carina, is home to massive stars and changing nebulae. The Keyhole Nebula (NGC 3324), the bright structure just below the image centre, houses several of these massive stars. The entire Carina Nebula, captured here, spans over 300 light years and lies about 7,500 light-years away in the constellation of Carina. Eta Carinae, the most energetic star in the nebula, was one of the brightest stars in the sky in the 1830s, but then faded dramatically. While Eta Carinae itself maybe on the verge of a supernova explosion, X-ray images indicate that much of the Great Nebula in Carina has been a veritable supernova factory.

Tomorrow's picture: opera of the planets


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