C92 · Carina Nebula
| Chinese name | 船底座大星云 |
|---|---|
| Type | Emission nebula |
| Constellation | Car |
| RA | 10h45m |
| Dec | −59° |
| Apparent magnitude | 1ᵐ |
| Hemisphere | Southern |
| Best season | Spring |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Focal length | 中焦 400–800mm |
About
The Carina Nebula (NGC 3372, Caldwell 92) lies about 7,500 light-years away and is the largest and brightest emission nebula in the southern sky, spanning over 300 light-years and dwarfing the northern Orion Nebula. It contains Eta Carinae, one of the Milky Way's most unstable supergiants, which flared into the sky's second-brightest star in the 1840s and ejected the dumbbell-shaped Homunculus Nebula. The region also holds the famous Hubble dust pillar known as the Mystic Mountain. Star formation rages throughout, with intense O III and Hα emission yielding overwhelming color and structure. A premier southern-hemisphere deep-sky target, it fits in a wide field while long focal lengths isolate Eta Carinae and the Mystic Mountain.