Webb Space Telescope reveals the “Treasure Chest” in the Carina Nebula
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has captured a new infrared view of a cometary globule within the star-forming Carina Nebula, highlighting the object’s distinctive dense head and sweeping tail.
NASA has released a new infrared image captured by the James Webb Space Telescope, offering a detailed view of a feature in the Carina Nebula known as the “Treasure Chest.” The image was taken on 6 August 2026 and made public on 21 August 2026.
The Carina Nebula is a prominent star-forming region in the southern sky, previously noted for its “Cosmic Cliffs” formation. The new observation focuses on a specific object within this region, identified as a cometary globule.
A cometary globule is described as an isolated cloud of gas and dust. The structure is characterised by a dense, dark head and a sweeping tail, features that are clearly visible in the infrared data provided by the telescope.
The James Webb Space Telescope is a joint mission operated by NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). The image credits are attributed to ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, and M. Reiter, with an acknowledgement to M. H. Özsaraç.
This release adds to the growing catalogue of high-resolution images from the observatory, which continues to provide new insights into the formation of stars and the composition of nebular gas.
