船底座星云（也称为船底座大星云、船底座η星云、或NGC 3372）是一个包围着数个疏散星团恒星的明亮大星云。海山二（船底座η）和HD 93129A，这两颗我们银河系内质量最大和最明亮的恒星，都属于这个星云。这个星云位于船底座，与地球的距离估计在6,500至10,000光年，星云内包含数颗O-型恒星。

这个星云是我们的天空中最大的弥漫星云之一，它比最著名的猎户座星云大四倍且更为明亮，但因为它位于南半球，因此没有那么的为人所知。它是Abbé Lacaille于1751-52年间在好望角发现的。

这个明亮的大星云有一个非常小的特征，紧密的包围着海山二本身，这个小星云称为侏儒星云（源自拉丁文的Little Man）。据信这是在1841年的一次爆发中形成来的，并且使这颗星在当时暂时成为全天第二亮星。

The Carina Nebula (also known as the Great Nebula in Carina, the Eta Carinae Nebula, NGC 3372, as well as the Grand Nebula) is a large bright nebula that has within its boundaries several related open clusters of stars. It contains the large OB association Carina OB1. Carina OB1 contains the star clusters Trumpler 14 and Trumpler 16. Trumpler 15, Collinder 228, Collinder 232, NGC 3324, and NGC 3293 are also considered members. Trumpler 14 is one of the youngest known star clusters, at half a million years old. Trumpler 16 is the home of WR 25, currently the most luminous star known in our Milky Way galaxy, together with the less luminous but more massive and famous Eta Carinae star system, and HD 93129A. NGC 3293 is the oldest and furthest from Trumpler 14, indicating sequential and ongoing star formation. The nebula lies at an estimated distance between 6,500 and 10,000 light years from Earth. It appears in the constellation of Carina, and is located in the Carina–Sagittarius Arm. The nebula contains numerous O-type stars.