Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of
our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief
explanation written by a professional astronomer. April 4, 1996
The Keyhole Nebula Near Eta Carinae Credit: Anglo-Australian
Telescope photograph by David Malin Copyright: Anglo-Australian
Telescope Board Explanation: The dark dusty Keyhole Nebula gets
its name from its unusual shape. Designated NGC 3324, the
Keyhole Nebula is a smaller region superposed on the bright Eta
Carina Nebula. The Eta Carina Nebula is the largest nebula in
angular extent on the sky, larger than the famous Orion Nebula,
but its southerly location makes it less familiar to Northern
Hemisphere skywatchers. The star Eta Carinae itself is extremely
variable and has faded in a mere 150 years - formerly one of the
brightest in the sky it is now invisible without a telescope.
The nebula created by the star's 19th century outburst has been
photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope. Authors & editors:
NASA Technical Rep.: