NGC 3199 is an emission nebula in the constellation Carina. It is commonly known as the Banana Nebula or Carina's Smile. The object was discovered in 1826 by the Scottish astronomer James Dunlop. It was thought to be the bow shock around the central star, WR 18, an especially hot and luminous Wolf–Rayet star; however, it was determined that the nebula formed due to the composition of local space, not because of the star's movement.
See also List of NGC objects
References
External links
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day: Windblown NGC 3199 (22 May 2008)