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Teaching tools > Stellar evolution > Overview: Pillar in the Carina Nebula facts > Fast Facts: Pillar in the Carina Nebula
| Name | Star-birth pillar in the Carina Nebula |
| Description | A pillar of gas and dust within which stars are forming. The stars are hidden behind the dust (top image), but one star is providing evidence of its existence through a jet that is visible to the right and left of the pillar. The star and its jets are seen more clearly in the near-infrared image, at bottom. |
| Location | The Carina Nebula is found in the constellation Carina, in the Southern Hemisphere. |
| Distance from Earth |
7,500 light-years |
| Size | The pillar is three light-years in length; the total length of the jet is about 10 light-years. |
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Stars are bursting to life inside this huge pillar of gas and dust in the Carina Nebula, but they are not clearly visible in the top image, taken in visible light. The bottom image, taken in near-infrared light, cuts through the dust and reveals the fledgling stars inside the pillar. One star can be seen shooting jets to the left and right.
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Teaching tools > Stellar evolution > Overview: Pillar in the Carina Nebula facts > Fast Facts: Pillar in the Carina Nebula