Keyhole Nebula

The dark dusty Keyhole Nebula gets its name from its unusual shape. Officially designated NGC 3324, the Keyhole Nebula is a smaller region superposed on the larger Eta Carinae Nebula. These nebulae were created by the dying star Eta Carinae, which is prone to violent outbursts during its final centuries. An emission nebula that contains much dust, the Keyhole Nebula was recently discovered to contain highly structured clouds of molecular gas.