IC 2944, nicknamed the Running Chicken Nebula

This new image from the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope shows the Running Chicken Nebula, a cloud of gas and newborn stars that lies around 6500 light-years away from us in the constellation of Centaurus (The Centaur). Officially called IC 2944, or the Lambda Centauri Nebula, its strange nickname comes from the bird-like shape of its brightest region. The star Lambda Centauri itself lies just outside the field of view.

Credit:

ESO

Over de afbeelding

Id:eso1135a
Type:Observatie
Publicatiedatum:21 september 2011 12:00
Gerelateerde berichten:eso1135
Grootte:8579 x 7763 px

Over het object

Naam:IC 2944
Type:Milky Way : Nebula : Appearance : Emission : H II Region
Afstand:6500 lichtjaren
Constellation:Centaurus
Categorie:Nebulae

Afbeeldingstypen

Grote JPEG
17,9 MB

Inzoomen


Achtergrond

1024x768
428,1 KB
1280x1024
637,2 KB
1600x1200
810,9 KB
1920x1200
844,4 KB
2048x1536
1,1 MB

Coordinates

Position (RA):11 38 20.44
Position (Dec):-63° 22' 22.45"
Field of view:34.01 x 30.77 arcminutes
Orientation:North is 0.1° right of vertical