Carina nebula NGC 3372

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The Carina Nebula or Eta Carinae Nebula (catalogued as NGC 3372; also known as the Great Carina Nebula) is a large, complex region of bright and dark nebula in the constellation Carina, located in the Carina–Sagittarius arm of the Milky Way. The nebula is about 8,500 light-years (2,600 pc) from Earth. One of the most famous inhabitants of the Carina Nebula is the unstable, giant binary star system Eta Carinae. This duo of stars, one of the largest and brightest star systems in our Milky Way galaxy, is known for its spectacular, periodic outbursts. Isolated clumps of dark clouds scattered throughout the nebula are clumps of dust and gas that resist photoionization (the removal of electron shells from atoms by intense light energy) stripping electrons from their shells.