Eta Carinae nebula. Infrared Spitzer Space Telescope image of the South Pillar region of the Eta Carinae nebula. This nebula is named after the massive star Eta Carina, which is just off the top centre of this image. The wind and radiation from the star has sculptured these clouds of dust and gas into pillars pointing towards it. Within these clouds some of the gas and dust is condensing into stars. Eta Carinae, which has a mass over 100 times that of the Sun, is extremely unstable.