Where is the Cat’s Head Nebula?
The Cat’s Head Nebula is a small, nicknamed region within the Carina Nebula, a star-forming region roughly 7,500 light-years from Earth. Its shape resembles a cat with its head turned.[1]
What does Hubble’s view show?
Hubble’s visible-light view shows an opaque dust pillar with a bright rim of gas. The rim is consistent with gas illuminated and ionized by ultraviolet light from nearby massive stars.[1]
The glowing feature that looks like the cat’s eye may be a young star embedded in dust, but that identification is not certain.[1]
What do Webb’s infrared views add?
Webb’s infrared views add details of the pillar and its surroundings. In near-infrared light, the pillar becomes more transparent, revealing its complex surface. The table compares what stands out in each view.[1]
| View | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Hubble: visible light | An opaque dust pillar with a bright gas rim |
| Webb: near-infrared | Pillar structure and many stars |
| Webb: mid-infrared | Structures traced by warm dust and carbon-based molecules |
Some stars remain partly hidden by dust even in Webb’s near-infrared view.
These are views of the same region, not different nebulae. To compare them, look for the same pillar first, then notice which details stand out in each kind of light.[1]