Carina Nebula: The Cosmic Crucible

In celebration of the Hubble 17th launch date anniversary, astronomers released the largest panoramic photographs every taken by the Hubble's cameras. The Carina Nebula is 50 light years across and shows the birth and death of stars in an unprecedented level of detail (click the image below for a high-res version).


Hubble website has plenty of details of this magnificent nebula: Star birth in the Extreme, Carina Nebula Details, Key to Detail Images.