ESA title
Blowing bubbles in the Carina Nebula
Science & Exploration

Blowing bubbles in the Carina Nebula

04/06/2012 3494 views 5 likes
ESA / Science & Exploration / Space Science / Herschel

Giant bubbles, towering pillars and cascading clouds of dust and gas fill the star-forming nursery of the Carina Nebula seen here in a stunning new view from Herschel to launch ESA Space Science’s image of the week feature.

The Carina Nebula is some 7500 lightyears from Earth and hosts some of the most massive and luminous stars in our Galaxy, including double-star system eta Carinae, which boasts over 100 times the mass of our Sun.

The total amount of gas and dust traced by ESA’s Herschel space observatory in this image is equivalent to some 650 000 Suns. Including warmer gas not well traced by Herschel, the total mass may be as high as 900 000 Suns.

Surrounding pillars of gas and dust point towards the bright central region of nebulosity – home to eta Carinae and numerous other massive stars.

The pillars are carved by intense stellar winds and radiation blasted out by these stars, eating away at the surrounding material.

Above and to the left is a chaotic web of bubbles and broken bubble arcs molded by individual regions of star formation that have swept up shells of dense clouds around them.

At top right is the Gum 31 nebula, which has blown a giant bubble out of the surrounding dense clouds thanks to winds and radiation emitted by the young stellar cluster NGC 3324 that sits at its heart.

This latest Herschel image launches ESA Space Science’s new image of the week series, which will present a variety of images and animations capturing all aspects of space science from the Sun, planets, stars, and galaxies to the edge of the Universe, along with the spacecraft that provide us with these spectacular views.

Every week, look to the top right of the Space Science homepage and prepare to be amazed!

Contact for further information

Related Links

Science & Exploration

Other Herschel First Science Stories

01/01/1970 1564 views
Open item
Herschel’s swan
Science & Exploration

Cygnus-X: the cool swan glowing in flight

10/05/2012 4315 views 2 likes
Read
Fomalhaut and dust disc
Science & Exploration

Herschel spots comet massacre around nearby star

11/04/2012 4449 views 6 likes
Read
Baby stars in Orion Nebula
Science & Exploration

Fledgling stars flicker in the heart of Orion

29/02/2012 3990 views 4 likes
Read
Stunning new Herschel and XMM-Newton image of the Eagle Nebula
Science & Exploration

A New View of an Icon

17/01/2012 14226 views 11 likes
Read
The Herschel and Planck AAAF Grand Prix 2010 award ceremony
Science & Exploration

Herschel and Planck win the French Grand Prix

10/06/2010 1719 views 2 likes
Read
NGC 1999: Truly a hole in space.
Science & Exploration

Herschel finds a hole in space

11/05/2010 10657 views 32 likes
Read
The Galactic bubble RCW 120
Science & Exploration

Herschel reveals the hidden side of star birth

06/05/2010 4696 views 6 likes
Read
The CB244 dark globule
Science & Exploration

Herschel takes the temperature of an interstellar cloud

06/05/2010 3525 views 2 likes
Read
Herschel and Rosette Nebula
Science & Exploration

Tracing the Milky Way’s hidden reservoirs of gas

06/05/2010 1666 views 4 likes
Read
Previously unseen galaxies revealed to ESA's Herschel
Science & Exploration

Herschel resolves the cosmic infrared fog

06/05/2010 1952 views 0 likes
Read
The Rosette molecular cloud, seen by Herschel
Science & Exploration

Baby stars in the Rosette cloud

12/04/2010 7086 views 14 likes
Read
Inside the dark heart of the Eagle
Science & Exploration

Inside the dark heart of the Eagle

16/12/2009 4205 views 3 likes
Read
Reservoir of cold gas in the constellation of the Southern Cross
Science & Exploration

Herschel views deep-space pearls on a cosmic string

02/10/2009 3951 views 5 likes
Read
Herschel and Planck
Science & Exploration

Herschel and Planck pass in-orbit 'exam'

24/07/2009 1620 views 1 likes
Read
Science & Exploration

Herschel images promise bright future

10/07/2009 3315 views 0 likes
Read
Herschel's test view of M51
Science & Exploration

Herschel’s daring test: a glimpse of things to come

19/06/2009 5283 views 8 likes
Read
Artist concept of the Herschel spacecraft
Science & Exploration

Herschel cryocover is open

15/06/2009 1735 views 1 likes
Read
ISO: Infrared Space Observatory
Agency

Observations: Seeing in infrared wavelengths

6396 views 19 likes
Read
Cold comfort for newborn stars - ISO unmasks the icy veil around the Eagle's fiery heart
Science & Exploration

Why infrared astronomy is a hot topic

11/09/2003 10645 views 35 likes
Read
Location of Lagrangian point (L2)
Science & Exploration

L2, the second Lagrangian Point

196247 views 1504 likes
Read