Carina Nebula
JWST's first showcase
A vast star-forming complex in the southern sky containing some of the most luminous stars known, including the unstable Eta Carinae. JWST's first 'Cosmic Cliffs' image revealed pillars of newborn stars in stunning detail.
Image: NASA / ESA / CSA / STScI / JWST
Vital statistics
Type
Emission Nebula
Distance
~8,500 light-years
Diameter
~460 light-years
Constellation
Carina
Did you know
Hosts Eta Carinae, a star that could go supernova at any moment.
Fact 01
Four times larger than the Orion Nebula.
Fact 02
JWST's debut image of the 'Cosmic Cliffs' was taken here.
Fact 03
Research & publications
Jump straight into peer-reviewed papers, preprints and authoritative references for Carina Nebula.
arXiv (preprints)
Open-access preprints in physics & astrophysics.
NASA ADS
The definitive bibliographic database for astronomy.
Google Scholar
Cross-publisher academic search.
Nature
Peer-reviewed articles in Nature & sister journals.
Wikipedia
Encyclopedic overview & onward references.
Tip: ask the Research AI for a curated reading list → /research
