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IC 2944, IC 2948, IC 2872, RCW 61 and Ced 116 in
Centaurus
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Object description:
This image shows the nebula region IC 2944 southeast
of lambda Centauri. The about 5900 light years distant nebula is being ionized
by a group of hot O-stars (IC 2948) which are visible in the center of our
picture. IC 2948 is one of the biggest associations of hot O- and B-stars in
the southern sky and is also known as the Centaurus OB2-Association. The
immensely high ultraviolet O-stars radiation heats up the surrounding gases and
forces it outwards. Some of the more dense nebula areas are not yet 'eroded'
and can be observed as small globules in the center of the picture. Also
visible are IC 2872, RCW 61 and Ced 116. |
| « Click here or the thumbnail image for a comparison with the
size of the Moon and
here to load a large image with detailed object
idenfication. |
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In IC 2944
those objects have been named after their discoverer A. D. Thackery. Otherwise
such globules are also called Bok globules and are being associated with the
creation of stars. However it is assumed that the globules in IC 2944 won't
have enough time left to facilitate the birth of new stars. Beforehand the
Thackery globules will most probably be eroded because of the high radiation
pressure of the surrounding stars.
We had imaged these Thackery
globules in much higher resolution with the PlaneWave CDK 17 at Rooisand
Observatory.
You can see the image here. Discovered was IC 2944 in the
year 1905 by the american astronomer Royal Harwood Frost. |
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