NGC 2867 (also known as Caldwell 90) is an elliptical^[5] Type II^[7] planetary nebula in the southern constellation of Carina, just over a degree to the NNW of the star Iota Carinae.^[8] It was discovered by John Herschel on April 1, 1834. Herschel initially thought he might have found a new planet, but on the following night he checked again and discovered it had not moved.^[3] The nebula is located at a distance of 7,270 light-years from the Sun.^[2]

The central star of the nebula is of spectral type WC3^[9] and is in the process of evolving into a white dwarf, having previously shed the atmosphere that created the surrounding nebula. It is now a hydrogen deficient GW Vir variable that is undergoing non-radial pulsations with an amplitude of less than 0.3 in magnitude. The star has an estimated temperature of 165+18
−20 kK with 5% of the radius of the Sun and is radiating 1,400 times the Sun's luminosity.^[5]

The surrounding nebula is fairly typical but does shows carbon enrichment, which suggests the progenitor star was not massive but did pass through third dredge-up. The category of central star has excited a very high degree of ionization in the nebula.^[7] The shape of the nebula appears somewhat elongated, which may indicate an interaction with the surrounding interstellar matter. The nebula halo may be a recombination of two separate halos, which could indicate a peculiar mass-loss history.^[10]