Celestial hemisphere:  Southern  ·  Constellation: Carina (Car)  ·  Contains:  Foramen  ·  HD303308  ·  HD303311  ·  HD93128  ·  HD93160  ·  HD93161  ·  HD93162  ·  HD93204  ·  HD93205  ·  HD93250  ·  eta Car
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eta Carina Nebula centre detail, Trumpler 16 (Keyhole Nebula, Defiant Finger, Trumpler 14), Paul Lloyd
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eta Carina Nebula centre detail, Trumpler 16 (Keyhole Nebula, Defiant Finger, Trumpler 14)

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eta Carina Nebula centre detail, Trumpler 16 (Keyhole Nebula, Defiant Finger, Trumpler 14), Paul Lloyd
Powered byPixInsight

eta Carina Nebula centre detail, Trumpler 16 (Keyhole Nebula, Defiant Finger, Trumpler 14)

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Description

The eta Carina or Great Carina Nebula is a prominent, bright, very large nebula in the southern
constellation of Carina, ‘The Keel’. It, however, is merely the bright tip of a huge molecular cloud complex,
designated Sodroski 62.

This image is a detailed view of the region around eta Carinae. Here can be found features such as the
Keyhole Nebula (the round cloud containing dark filaments, right of centre), the Defiant Finger (much
smaller object immediately to the right of the Keyhole, with the ‘finger’ pointing down), and open star
clusters Trumpler 14 (top right-hand corner) and Trumpler 16 (centre, containing eta Car).

Scattered throughout this region are small, dark nebulae, of which the Defiant Finger is an example.
These are termed Bok globules, after Bart Bok who described them in 1940. They comprise regions of
dense gas and cosmic dust, containing molecular hydrogen (H2), carbon oxides, and helium. They are
believed to be involved in star formation, often generating multiple star systems.



Telescope: APM152 APO refractor + 1.37x Barlow, f=1650mm
Camera:     ZWO ASI294MC Pro
Exposure:  54 x 300 sec, Optolong L-eNhance filter
                    Bortle 3-4 sky, 98% Moon waxing
                    frame cropped to 0.7x
Field of View: approx. 0º 19’ x 0º 14’
Image processed and prepared in PixInsight and Photoshop Elements

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eta Carina Nebula centre detail, Trumpler 16 (Keyhole Nebula, Defiant Finger, Trumpler 14), Paul Lloyd