Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. The Eta Carina Nebula is the largest nebula in angular extent on the sky, larger than the famous Orion Nebula , but its southerly location makes it less familiar to Northern Hemisphere skywatchers. The star Eta Carinae itself is extremely variable and has faded in a mere 150 years - formerly one of the brightest in the sky it is now invisible without a telescope. The nebula created by the star's 19th century outburst has been photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope .
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