APOD: Carina Nebula Dust Pillar (2015 Feb 08)

[APOD Robot]

Carina Nebula Dust Pillar

Explanation: This cosmic pillar of gas and dust is nearly two light-years wide. The structure lies within one of our galaxy's largest star forming regions, the Carina Nebula, shining in southern skies at a distance of about 7,500 light-years. The pillar's convoluted outlines are shaped by the winds and radiation of Carina's young, hot, massive stars. But the interior of the cosmic pillar itself is home to stars in the process of formation. In fact, a penetrating infrared view shows the pillar is dominated by two, narrow, energetic jets blasting outward from a still hidden infant star. The above featured visible light image was made in 2009 using the Hubble Space Telescope's Wide Field Camera 3.

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[orin stepanek]

I don't believe this is a repeat like many Sunday APOD's!

[Joe Stieber]

I don't believe this is a repeat like many Sunday APOD's!

This one is almost the same as the APOD of October 1, 2009: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap091001.html

It looks like the same image with a slightly different crop, and the mouseover is now absent. The descriptive text is much the same too.

[AndyF]

I don't believe this is a repeat like many Sunday APOD's!

Ah! It looks like you missed the straw poll of a few years back where comments were encouraged regarding the (already established) use of 'Golden Oldies' at weekends. I recall that most people hadn't even noticed they were 'repeats'.

You aren't alone in missing the occasional APOD - as it happens I missed today's original showing so I'm glad it has been given a fresh viewing.

[henrystar]

I'm extremely glad to see this - I missed it if it has appeared before. Look, you complainers - just as there are many books that are worth re-reading (even annually), so there are MANY wonderful astronomical images that work their wonders no matter how many times they are seen. This pair of images is magnificent and is highly instructive! I hope it appears again next year .....

[orin stepanek]

I don't believe this is a repeat like many Sunday APOD's!

This one is almost the same as the APOD of October 1, 2009: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap091001.html

It looks like the same image with a slightly different crop, and the mouseover is now absent. The descriptive text is much the same too.

Yep; I must have missed it way back then; or I don't remember it! It is a nice reprint though!

[mixeltwist]

It looks like a rose in the center.

[bystander]

I like the UVIS/IR composite:

Click to view full size image

[starsurfer]

The description states that the jet is visible in infrared but it is also visible in optical images. It is actually catalogued as HH 666 (nicknamed the Axis of Evil) and was the first outflow to be discovered in the Eta Carinae Nebula, which I think was in 2004. Another thing the Eta Carinae Nebula contains that many people don't know about is a treasure chest! One astronomer who has studied the Eta Carinae Nebula a lot is Thomas Preibisch.

[pferkul]

Anyone know where this image lies in the wider panorama at http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090524.html ?

[geckzilla]

Anyone know where this image lies in the wider panorama at http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090524.html ?

Here you go. Since this dust pillar is not in the Hubble Carina Mosaic, it helps to take an even wider view and overlay Hubble's images on top to show where each is positioned. Here is a widefield image of Carina by Lóránd Fényes: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap131015.html

Below I have placed the two Hubble images on his image to show where they are.

Carina Nebula by Lóránd Fényes with Hubble images and annotations.

[pferkul]

Anyone know where this image lies in the wider panorama at http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090524.html ?

Here you go. Since this dust pillar is not in the Hubble Carina Mosaic, it helps to take an even wider view and overlay Hubble's images on top to show where each is positioned. Here is a widefield image of Carina by Lóránd Fényes: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap131015.html

Below I have placed the two Hubble images on his image to show where they are.

fenyes_carina_wide_w_hubble_overlays.jpg

Ah, that explains it...I was not looking in the widest image. Thank you! An astonishing nebula indeed.

[tomatoherd]

Well, since they brought it up, where IS the scene of the accident in this field?? At lower left, at the start of the larger star trail, or upper right, start of the smaller?? I don't understand how there can be TWO trails, as, reared on Newton, I know they cannot reverse course on their own.
The scene of two colliding cars can show two divergent tire tracks as each driver brakes anticipating collison. But if the cars are entangled/hooked together, there can be only one major debris stream AFTER collision. What gives?