The constellation of Carina, the Keel, contains the star Canopus, the second-brightest star in the sky. Carina is one of the four constellations that were formed when astronomers divided the constellation Argo Navis, the ship on which Jason and the Argonauts sailed in search of the Golden Fleece.

Carina also contains the Eta Carinae Nebula, the largest and most splendid diffuse nebula in the sky, surpassing even the famous Orion Nebula (M42) in size and splendor. Only its position far south of the celestial equator (and, therefore, its invisibility to much of the Northern Hemisphere) prevents this nebula from being a household name.

The Eta Carinae Nebula is a colossal star-forming region of hot gas, heated by ultraviolet rays from the hot young stars. It covers a full two degrees of sky (four times the width of the full moon).

Eta Carinae is obvious to the naked eye as a bright elongated glow, but that only hints at its grandeur. In binoculars, it is a large and bright nebula split into two by a v-shaped dark lane called the Keyhole Nebula.

The field of view in binoculars is stunning, with Eta Carinae embedded in a star-studded region of the Milky Way. A telescope reveals wisps of nebulosity, dark lanes, and subtle detail that will keep the most ardent observer busy for years.