The nebula featured in this image can be seen in the constellation, Carina. It can be seen just a couple of camera fields of view north of the Statue of Liberty nebula (NGC 3576). I love imaging from the southern hemisphere because I learn about so many interesting deep sky objects I didn't previously know existed. This nebula is one of those objects. NGC 3572 is actually the open cluster at the top of the nebula in this image, but the adjacent nebula is what I find fascinating. While the broader nebula reminds me of a clenched mitten, the real gem of the image is the center of the field of view. The two columns of dust earn this object the nickname, Southern Tadpoles. What is even more interesting is the glowing oval in the middle of the open cluster just above them. It is the subject of some analysis,
https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/368098?seq=1, to determine if it is a planetary nebula or a photo-evaporating globule. Say that last phrase five time in 10 seconds without biting your tongue
. In any case, I encourage you to view this image in full frame in order to appreciate these details. The image is displayed with south at the top, because, well, if your were viewing the sky from the southern hemisphere, south is closer to the zenith.
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