Chandra and James Webb have captured a ghost-like figure that is part of the Carina Nebula, a vast star-forming region that contains some of the most massive stars in the Milky Way. This structure is an isolated cloud of gas and dust that has a glowing, hooded head and a sweeping cape-like tail. The unusual shape may come from the cloud being eroded by powerful radiation from some of the region’s massive stars — including Eta Carinae — that are outside the field of view in this image. In this latest representation of this region, X-rays detected by Chandra (pink) — that reveal young stars in the nebula — have been combined with Webb’s infrared data (red, green, and blue) and optical data from the NSF's ground-based CTIO telescope.

This tactile plate is a physical relief map based on the intensity of multi-wavelength data from the Chandra and Webb telescopes featuring a small portion of the Carina Nebula. It reveals a striking cloud of gas and dust, loosely resembling a ghostly figure. Its head and sweeping, tattered arms stretch through a star-filled background. Tiny stars sparkle in the scene, while larger dots of X-ray light reveal young stars scattered across this eerie stellar nursery.