APOD 4.5 Carina Nebula Panorama from Hubble

Spanning 300 light years across and 7,500 light years away in the constellation Carina is this amazing nebula, NGC 3372, also known as the Great Nebula in Carina. Eta Carinae is the most active star in this nebula and was once the brightest in the 1830's before suddenly fading. In the Keyhole nebula, left of center, some of the most massive stars known are located there.

This false color image was taken by the Hubble Telescope and is the most detailed picture taken of this nebula. It is a composite of 48 high-resolute frames and was released in honor of Hubble's 17th anniversary. Wide-field annotated and zoomable image versions are available.