
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI)
Intricate structures within the Cat's Head Nebula are illuminated in this mid-infrared view from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope released on Oct. 29, 2026. The distinctive "cat's head" shape of the nebula was likely sculpted over time by the intense ultraviolet radiation and winds from massive stars in the Carina Nebula. As this stellar feedback erodes the surrounding gas and dust, denser material within the feline-shaped pillar resists erosion, at least for now.
Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI)
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