The sight of the Eta Carinae nebula in the southern night sky is unique; it is the brightest nebula in the sky. The light of its central star Eta Carinae is strongly attenuated by the nebula, and the nebula thus appears clearer and brighter than other nebulae. The star Eta Carinae is remarkable because of its recurring bursts of brightness. In 1843, there was a huge eruption in which it temporarily and quickly became the second brightest star in the sky next to Sirius. The large nebula surrounding it can probably be traced back to this eruption. Remnants of earlier eruptions can still be recognised further out. The nebula has an apparent diameter of about four Earth moons.
In my photo, captured with a 50mm lens, the Eta Carinae nebula appears wonderfully embedded in open star clusters with yellow and blue-white stars, but also other smaller nebulae. The star cluster at the bottom left is often compared with the Pleiades, the seven-pointed star. It is accordingly called the Southern Pleiades.