Which nebula did JWST image to produce the 'Cosmic Cliffs' picture?

JWST imaged the Carina Nebula to produce the famous “Cosmic Cliffs” picture.

More precisely, the image shows NGC 3324, a young star-forming region on the edge of a huge cavity within the Carina Nebula. Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera and Mid-Infrared Instrument combined observations taken in June 2022, revealing layers of dust, glowing gas, and previously hidden young stars.

The nickname “Cosmic Cliffs” comes from the image’s mountain-like boundary between the cavity and the denser surrounding cloud. The apparent cliffs are not solid structures: they are the illuminated edge of a gigantic gaseous region. Ultraviolet radiation and powerful stellar winds from massive young stars carved out the cavity over time.

The region is about 7,600 light-years from Earth. The picture is sometimes confused with famous nebula images such as the Eagle Nebula’s Pillars of Creation, but those are separate targets. Webb’s Cosmic Cliffs belong specifically to NGC 3324 in the Carina Nebula and were among the telescope’s early-release observations unveiled in July 2022.