IC 2944
| Emission nebula | |
|---|---|
| open cluster | |
 | |
| Observation data: J2000.0 epoch | |
| Right ascension | 11h 36m 36.0s |
| Declination | −63° 02′ 00″ |
| Distance | 2.0 kpc[1] ly |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 4.5 |
| Apparent dimensions (V) | 75′ |
| Constellation | Centaurus |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Radius | Unknown ly |
| Absolute magnitude (V) | Unknown |
| Notable features | open cluster with nebulosity, Bok globules |
| Designations |
IC 2944, Running Chicken Nebula, Lambda Cen Nebula, Caldwell 100. |
IC 2944, also known as the Running Chicken Nebula or the Lambda Centauri Nebula, is an open cluster with an associated emission nebula found in the constellation Centaurus, near the star Lambda Centauri. It features Bok globules, which are frequently a site of active star formation. However, no evidence for star formation has been found in any of the globules in IC 2944.[2]
The ESO Very Large Telescope image on the right is a close up of a set of Bok globules discovered in IC 2944 by South African astronomer A. David Thackeray in 1950.[3] These globules are now known as Thackeray's Globules. In 2MASS images, 6 stars are visible within the largest globule.
Gallery
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Image from the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope.[1]
- ^ "An Angry Bird in the Sky". ESO Photo Release. 21 September 2011. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
References
- ↑ Thackeray, A. D.; Wesselink, A. J.: "A photometric and spectroscopic study of the cluster IC 2944", MNRAS 131,121, 1965 Abstract
- ↑ Astron. Astrophys. 327, 1185, 1997
- ↑ Thackeray A.D.: "Some southern stars involved in nebulosity", MNRAS 110,529, 1950. Abstract
External links
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