Star power 🌟 The Carina Nebula complex is one of the most energetic star-forming areas in our galaxy — within it lies the Keyhole Nebula, pictured here by the European Southern Observatory. Our Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) was able to detect the magnetic field streamlines shown over this image. Eta Carinae, a huge active star neighboring the Keyhole Nebula, could have influenced the nebula's shape with its strong winds. Data from SOFIA's observations show that the magnetic fields in the loop seem affected by the star's strong wing. The magnetic field spreads out in a fan shape, matching the wind from Eta Carinae. This shows that the magnetic field is being disturbed by the star's energy. The magnetic field in the loop is much weaker than the star's wind, which means that while magnetic fields are important in the early stages of star formation, they don’t do much to stop the cloud from being broken apart by the energy from massive stars. Scientists no...