Carina
61. Nebula
Composed of gas and dust, the pictured pillar
resides in a tempestuous stellar nursery called the
Carina Nebula, located 7500 light-years away in
the southern constellation of Carina.
Taken in visible light, the image shows the tip of
the three-light-year-long pillar, bathed in the glow
of light from hot, massive stars off the top of the
image. Scorching radiation and fast winds (streams
of charged particles) from these stars are sculpting
the pillar and causing new stars to form within it.
Streamers of gas and dust can be seen flowing off
the top of the structure.
Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 observed the
Carina Nebula on 24-30 July 2009. WFC3 was
installed aboard Hubble in May 2009 during
Servicing Mission 4. The composite image was
made from filters that isolate emission from iron,
magnesium, oxygen, hydrogen and sulphur.
These Hubble observations of the Carina Nebula
are part of the Hubble Servicing Mission 4 Early
Release Observations.
Credit: NASA, ESA and the Hubble SM4 ERO Team