                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                              2021 December 14

                     HH 666: Carina Dust Pillar with Jet
    Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble; Processing & Copyright: Mehmet Hakan
                                    zsara

   Explanation: To some, it may look like a beehive. In reality, the
   featured image from the Hubble Space Telescope captures a cosmic pillar
   of dust, over two-light years long, inside of which is Herbig-Haro 666
   -- a young star emitting powerful jets. The structure lies within one
   of our galaxy's largest star forming regions, the Carina Nebula,
   shining in southern skies at a distance of about 7,500 light-years. The
   pillar's layered outline are shaped by the winds and radiation of
   Carina's young, hot, massive stars, some of which are still forming
   inside the nebula. A dust-penetrating view in infrared light better
   shows the two, narrow, energetic jets blasting outward from a still
   hidden infant star.

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