IC 2944 / 48 - RUNNING CHICKEN NEBULA

(PARTIAL VIEW)

Centaurus

(ra: 11,36.6 / dec -63:02)

Ha Version click here

DATA

TYPE: Cluster Associated with Nebulosity

APPARENT MAGNITUDE: 4.5 (IC 2944)

SIZE: 75  arcs minutes

DISTANCE: 7000 light years

OBJECT DESCRIPTION

This Nebula lies between the Southern Cross and Eta Carina. A region of emission clouds that looks quite uniform. A very active and rich zone of star forming region. The open cluster in the upper left side is IC 2944. It shows very young stars at about 5900 light years from my backyard

The black spots also in the upper left side of the image are intriguing objects . They were discovered by south African astronomer A.D.Thackeray. The larger has a diameter of 1 light year and it mass is equivalent to 15 times our Sun. This type of black spots are also known as Bok Globules

(after the astronomer who first discovered) and they are present in many objects like The Lagoon Nebula. There are not much information about them but they are present in star forming regions

Below at right is the well known star Lambda Centauri shining at magnitude 3.11 and lies at only 411 light years of distance

The Moon was quite bright and it took some contrast out of the image however the seeing was very good. The position of the CCD was not in the optimal position therefore some comma was generated that was removed with processing

IMAGE INFORMATION

SCOPE: Celestron SCT C8 at (roughly) f6.3

MOUNT Vixen GPDX mount with Sky Sensor 2000

SKY CONDITIONS: visual limit magnitude 4.

CAMERA: Starlight SXVF H9

FILTERS: Astronomik, Type II, Ha 6nm, IDAS LPS II for Luminance

EXPOSURES: LHaRGB (16,20,16,16,16) 240 seconds subs

GUIDING: Synta 70/400 Refractor. SXV Guide Head

IMAGE ACQUISITION: Astro Art and CCD Control Interface 3.72

CALIBRATED: ImagesPlus (no darks removed) PROCESSING: Photoshop CS

DATE: July 14, 2008

IC 2944 / 48 - RUNNING CHICKEN NEBULA

(PARTIAL VIEW in Ha)

Centaurus

(ra: 11,36.6 / dec -63:02)