Hubble and Webb Can See the Eerie Cat’s Head Nebula

WHO:

Phys.org - NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and James Webb Space Telescope captured the scene.

NASA - NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and James Webb Space Telescope captured the scene.

WHAT:

Phys.org - The telescopes captured a “hauntingly dynamic star-forming scene,” described as “like a spectral form rising out of a cold mist.”

NASA - The telescopes captured a “hauntingly dynamic star-forming scene,” described as “like a spectral form rising out of a cold mist.”

Phys.org - The observed area is nicknamed the Cat’s Head Nebula because it resembles a cat sitting with its back toward the viewer; the cat’s “head” turns to the right, revealing a glowing eye.

NASA - The observed area is nicknamed the Cat’s Head Nebula.

WHERE:

Phys.org - The Cat’s Head Nebula lies within the Carina Nebula, a diffuse star-forming region about 7,500 light-years from Earth.

NASA - The Cat’s Head Nebula lies within the Carina Nebula, a diffuse star-forming region about 7,500 light-years from Earth.

HOW:

Phys.org - Hubble and Webb observed a small, select area within the Carina Nebula.

NASA - Hubble and Webb observed a small, select area within the Carina Nebula.

(UPDATED October 29, 2026 21:07 UTC)

NASA’s Hubble and James Webb space telescopes captured a hauntingly dynamic star-forming scene in a small area of the Carina Nebula. Nicknamed the Cat’s Head Nebula, the region resembles a cat sitting with its back to the viewer, its head turned right to reveal a glowing eye. The Carina Nebula is a diffuse star-forming region about 7,500 light-years from Earth.