Carina Nebula
NGC 3372, Caldwell 92, Eta Carinae Nebula · Emission nebula in Carina
- Magnitude
- 1.0
- Size
- 120′
- Effective surface brightness
- 21.0 mag/arcsec²
- Best months
- Feb, Mar, Apr
- Declination
- -60°
- Filter
- Dual-band recommended
Four times the size and brightness of the Orion Nebula, the best emission nebula in the sky. Southern hemisphere only, and easy from anywhere it rises.
Low or below the horizon from northern Europe; best from the southern US southwards.
How long with each smart telescope
| Telescope | In frame | Bortle 3 (rural) | Bortle 5 (suburban) | Bortle 7 (urban edge) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZWO Seestar S5010 s subs, dual-band | 2.8× frame | 7 min44 subs | 8 min49 subs | 11 min69 subs |
| ZWO Seestar S50 Pro10 s subs, dual-band | 1.4× frame | 8 min49 subs | 9 min54 subs | 13 min77 subs |
| ZWO Seestar S3010 s subs, dual-band | 1.7× frame | 8 min51 subs | 9 min55 subs | 13 min76 subs |
| ZWO Seestar S30 Pro10 s subs, dual-band | 89% | 9 min53 subs | 10 min58 subs | 14 min82 subs |
| DwarfLab DWARF 315 s subs, dual-band | 1.2× frame | 9 min38 subs | 10 min42 subs | 16 min64 subs |
| DwarfLab DWARF mini15 s subs, dual-band | 1.7× frame | 8 min30 subs | 8 min32 subs | 11 min46 subs |
| DwarfLab Draco30 s subs, dual-band | 1.6× frame | 15 min30 subs | 15 min30 subs | 15 min30 subs |
| DwarfLab DWARF II15 s subs | 1.1× frame | 23 min92 subs | 30 min120 subs | 1 h 01 min245 subs |
| Vaonis Vespera II10 s subs | 1.4× frame | 6 min35 subs | 8 min51 subs | 20 min118 subs |
| Vaonis Vespera Pro10 s subs | 1.2× frame | 14 min82 subs | 19 min115 subs | 43 min256 subs |
| Vaonis Vespera 310 s subs | 1.4× frame | 6 min34 subs | 8 min48 subs | 19 min113 subs |
| Vaonis Vespera Pro 210 s subs | 1.2× frame | 13 min78 subs | 18 min109 subs | 41 min245 subs |
| Unistellar eQuinox 24 s subs | 3.5× frame | 7 min99 subs | 8 min123 subs | 15 min228 subs |
| Unistellar Odyssey4 s subs | 3.6× frame | 33 min501 subs | 39 min588 subs | 1 h 04 min968 subs |
| Celestron Origin10 s subs | 2.3× frame | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 5 min33 subs |
| Celestron Origin Mark II10 s subs | 2.7× frame | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 8 min46 subs |
Imaging the emission nebula
Emission nebulae glow in a few narrow lines, mostly hydrogen-alpha (deep red) and doubly ionised oxygen (teal). A dual-band filter passes those lines and blocks most skyglow, which is why it cuts the time needed from a suburban sky so dramatically. Use it. From a genuinely dark site the gain is smaller because there is less skyglow to block, and read noise becomes the limit, which is where longer subs (EQ mode, or Expert Mode on a Vespera) earn their keep.
Stars lose colour through a dual-band filter; a short broadband stack blended in fixes that if you care.
Per-telescope pages
- How long to image the Carina Nebula with the ZWO Seestar S50
- How long to image the Carina Nebula with the ZWO Seestar S50 Pro
- How long to image the Carina Nebula with the ZWO Seestar S30
- How long to image the Carina Nebula with the ZWO Seestar S30 Pro
- How long to image the Carina Nebula with the DwarfLab DWARF 3
- How long to image the Carina Nebula with the DwarfLab DWARF mini
- How long to image the Carina Nebula with the DwarfLab Draco
- How long to image the Carina Nebula with the DwarfLab DWARF II
- How long to image the Carina Nebula with the Vaonis Vespera II
- How long to image the Carina Nebula with the Vaonis Vespera Pro
- How long to image the Carina Nebula with the Vaonis Vespera 3
- How long to image the Carina Nebula with the Vaonis Vespera Pro 2
- How long to image the Carina Nebula with the Unistellar eQuinox 2
- How long to image the Carina Nebula with the Unistellar Odyssey
- How long to image the Carina Nebula with the Celestron Origin
- How long to image the Carina Nebula with the Celestron Origin Mark II