The cool clouds of Carina

Observations made with the APEX telescope in submillimetre-wavelength light at a wavelength of 870 µm reveal the cold dusty clouds from which stars form in the Carina Nebula. This site of violent star formation, which plays host to some of the highest-mass stars in our galaxy, is an ideal arena in which to study the interactions between these young stars and their parent molecular clouds.

The APEX observations, made with its LABOCA camera, are shown here in orange tones, combined with a visible light image from the Curtis Schmidt telescope at the Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory. The result is a dramatic, wide-field picture that provides a spectacular view of Carina’s star formation sites. The nebula contains stars equivalent to over 25 000 Suns, and the total mass of gas and dust clouds is that of about 140 000 Suns.

#L

Credit:

ESO/APEX/T. Preibisch et al. (Submillimetre); N. Smith, University of Minnesota/NOAO/AURA/NSF (Optical)

About the Image

Id:eso1145a
Type:Observation
Release date:16 November 2011, 12:00
Related releases:eso1145
Size:4056 x 4584 px

About the Object

Name:Carina Nebula, NGC 3372
Type:Milky Way : Nebula : Type : Star Formation
Distance:7500 light years
Constellation:Carina
Category:Nebulae

Image Formats

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5.4 MB
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614.1 KB

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Coordinates

Position (RA):10 44 47.14
Position (Dec):-59° 38' 49.48"
Field of view:68.10 x 76.98 arcminutes
Orientation:North is 0.5° right of vertical

Colours & filters

BandWavelengthTelescope
Optical
OII
Other
N/A
Optical
H-alpha
Other
N/A
Millimeter
Submillimetre
870 μmAtacama Pathfinder Experiment
LABOCA
Millimeter
Submillimetre
870 μmAtacama Pathfinder Experiment
LABOCA
Optical
SII
Other
N/A
Millimeter
Submillimetre
870 μmAtacama Pathfinder Experiment
LABOCA