NGC3372 · Eta Carinae / Mystic Mountain
| Chinese name | 海山二与神秘山 |
|---|---|
| Type | Emission nebula |
| Constellation | Car |
| RA | 10h45m |
| Dec | −59° |
| Apparent magnitude | 1ᵐ |
| Hemisphere | Southern |
| Best season | Spring |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Focal length | 中长焦 800–1200mm |
About
NGC 3372 is the formal designation of the Carina Nebula, whose core harbors the famous luminous supergiant Eta Carinae. Eta Carinae is a wildly unstable massive binary that flared into the sky's second-brightest star in the 1840s, then ejected the dumbbell-shaped Homunculus Nebula that is still expanding today. The nebula lies about 7,500 light-years away and spans over 300 light-years, far larger than the Orion Nebula, and also contains the celebrated 「Mystic Mountain,」 a radiation-sculpted dust pillar about three light-years tall. This is the most dramatic and photogenic detail within the largest, brightest emission nebula in the southern sky, with stunning color and structure. It rewards long-focus close-ups that reveal Eta Carinae and its eruptive remnant.