NGC 2070 – TARANTULA NEBULA

Dorado

 (ra: 5:38,6 / dec -69:05)

DATA

TYPE: Cluster associated with Nebula

VISUAL MAGNITUDE: 5

SIZE: 40 arc minutes

DISTANCE: 179,000 light years

OBJECT DESCRIPTION

NGC 2070 was first cathatlogued as a star: 30 Doradus. It was recognized as a nebula by Abbe Lacaille on 1751.

The Tarantula Nebula is one of the largset skies emission nebula. An easy target for southern stargazers, even with the unaided eye in darks nights. NGC 2070 is the nearest extragalactic HII zone and the larger in our local group, spreading an area of 3000 lights years. The nebula is ilumiated by a young and hot star cluster located in the center, covering a region of no more than a light year.

In 1987 in the east side of the nebula a supernova exploded. The 1987A supernova was the first visible one after 1604.

IMAGE INFORMATION

SCOPE: Orion ED 80, Vixen GPDX Mount, with Sky Sensor 2000

SKY CONDITIONS: Visual limit magnitude 4.

CAMERA: Starlight Xpress SXV M7 @f 7.5

FILTERS: Astronomik Ha, Type II, Atik Filter Wheel

EXPOSSURES: 120 minutes LHaRGB (20,40,20,20,20) subs 240 secs

PROCESSED: Calibrated darks, flats, and offsets in ImagesPluse. Photoshop CS