
The term "Carina Nebula" is sometimes translated as "Nebula of Carina," evoking the image of a beautiful female name. However, this is a misinterpretation. "Carina" is Latin for "keel," referring to the keel of a ship—not just any ship, but the Argo, depicted on ancient star maps. Over time, the Argo constellation was divided into several modern constellations: Carina, Puppis, Vela, and Pyxis (Compass). The stars of the Argo are invisible from mid-northern latitudes. Even in the best seasons (winter and spring), Carina, Puppis, and Vela remain below the horizon. They can be observed from the northern tropics and farther south. However, in ancient times, when Greek astronomers imagined the Argo in the sky, the Earth's rotational axis was positioned differently due to precession. This allowed the Argo to be visible from Mediterranean shores. Precession, a gradual shift in the Earth's axis, completes a full cycle every 26,000 years. Over three millennia, the stars of the Argo gradually disappeared from the northern sky.