Carina Nebula
Also known as NGC 3372
Carina Nebula is an HII region (glowing hydrogen) in the constellation Carina, about 8,550 light-years from Earth.
Giant nebula around Eta Carinae
Facts
| Type | HII region (glowing hydrogen) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Carina |
| Position (J2000) | 10h 45m 08s, −59° 52′ |
| Distance | 8,550 light-years (its light set off about 8,550 years ago) |
| Brightness | magnitude 3 (smaller is brighter; the faintest stars the eye sees are about 6) |
| Size on the sky | 120′ × 120′ (the full Moon is about 31′) |
| Filter | UHC (narrowband) filter (Glowing gas shines in a few colours of hydrogen and oxygen: a UHC filter passes those and blocks most light pollution and sky glow.) |
| Studied in | 1,081 scientific papers (SIMBAD) |
When and how to see it
Carina Nebula is highest in the sky at midnight in March. From India (about 20° N) it climbs to about 10° above the horizon; from 50° N it never rises. To see it you need the naked eye, even from a town.
Heights are worked out for India and for 50° N. Set your location in Settings to see them for where you are.
For tonight's best time from your own town, the darkness and the Moon, open it on the map and see its "Tonight from your location" card.
More in Carina
- Bullet Cluster
- Canopus
- Eta Carinae
- Homunculus Nebula
- Statue of Liberty Nebula
- Toby Jug Nebula (IC 2220)
- Westerlund 2
- Wishing Well Cluster (NGC 3532)
Everything in Carina · All 88 constellations · All sky objects
Data: SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg; the site's weekly copy) · OpenNGC · Data sources & credits