Hubble and Webb reveal different sides of a cloud in Carina
· BehindLines newsroom
A dark pillar resembling a cat appears in views of the Carina Nebula released on 29 October by the Hubble and James Webb teams. The main interest lies in comparing them: the same cloud of gas and dust looks different depending on the light recorded. The nickname “Cat’s Head” refers to its outline, rather than a class of astronomical object.
Instruments reveal different details
The ESA/Hubble release places the region about 7,500 light-years away. In visible light, dust forms an opaque column bordered by glowing gas. In infrared light, Webb reveals more stars and structures behind part of that veil.
NASA’s description identifies NIRCam as the instrument responsible for the near-infrared view. The observations took place on 27 May 2026, so the October release does not indicate when the image was taken. Several filters selected different ranges of light, which were then assigned colours to produce the displayed image.
This processing makes the caption important when interpreting a shade. The blue or yellow shown reflects choices in representing the data; those colours alone do not measure the ages of stars. The description mentions stars that remain hidden even in the near-infrared, alongside a few galaxies visible in the background.
An outline and possible explanations
According to ESA/Hubble, radiation and winds from massive stars probably shaped the pillar by eroding its surroundings. Denser parts withstand that process better. This remains an interpretation of the scene.
ESA/Hubble also presents a third view, taken in the mid-infrared with MIRI. It describes a bright source that might be an embedded young star. A filament appears to cross its position, but the release cautions that the image alone does not establish a physical relationship between them. Overlapping appearances are therefore insufficient to show that two structures are connected.