THE first images from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have offered us a great insight into space- more than ever before.
On July 12, 2022, the telescope’s images revealed stellar nurseries and stars in the Carina Nebula, that were hidden before.
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The $10 billion telescope’s images have offered a deeper look into the cosmos than humanity has ever seen.
But what is the Carina Nebula? We explain it here.
What is the Carina Nebula?
The Carina is in an area located in the constellation Carina in the Carina–Sagittarius Arm of the Milky Way, where some of the biggest and brightest stars are formed.
Among them is the Eta Carinae, a massive star, estimated to be 100 times bigger than the Sun and about four million times more luminous.
The nebula also includes the large Carina OB1 association, home to star clusters Trumpler 14 and Trumpler 16.
Trumpler 14 is one of the youngest known star clusters at half a million years old.
The Carina Nebula also has numerous O-type stars and several Wolf–Rayet stars.
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While the telescope’s predecessor, the Hubble Space Telescope had already given us a first look into the nebula, Webb’s infrared cameras are able to peer through cosmic dust and reveal new areas where stars are being born.
What happens in the Carina Nebula?
The Carina Nebula is where dozens of stars are born and die.
With Webb, scientists hope to glimpse light from the first stars and galaxies that formed 13.7 billion years ago, just 100 million years from the universe-creating Big Bang.
The telescope also will scan the atmospheres of alien worlds for possible signs of life.
How far is the Carina Nebula from Earth?
The Carina nebula is approximately 7,600 light-years away from Earth.
