NGC 3324

This bright cosmic cloud was sculpted by stellar winds and radiation from the hot young stars of open cluster NGC 3344 located northwest of the Carina Nebula (NGC 3372) at a distance of 9,100 ly from Earth. The emission nebula is designated as IC 2599, also known as Gum 31. The two are often confused as a single object, and together have been nicknamed the "Gabriela Mistral Nebula" due to its resemblance to the Chilean poet. NGC 3324 was first catalogued by James Dunlop in 1826.