Celestial hemisphere:  Southern  ·  Constellation: Serpens (Ser)  ·  Contains:  The star 60Ser
SH2-64, Don Curry
SH2-64
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SH2-64

SH2-64, Don Curry
SH2-64
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SH2-64

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Description

Westerhout 40 or W40 (also designated Sharpless 64, Sh2-64, or RCW 174) is a star-forming region in the Milky Way Galaxy in the constellation Serpens Cauda. The region has the appearance of a diffuse nebula that contains a cluster of several hundred young stars.[2][5][6] The distance to the region is 436±9 pc (1420±30 light-years),[1] making it one of the nearest sites of formation of high-mass O- and B-type stars.[7] However, it is highly obscured by its molecular cloud, and cannot easily be observed in visible wavelengths of light.[2][8] Ionizing radiation from the massive OB stars has created an H II region[9] which has an hour-glass morphology.[5]

Like all star-forming regions, W40 is made up of several components: the cluster of new-born stars and the gaseous material from which these stars form (the interstellar medium). Most of the gas is in the form of molecular clouds, the coldest, densest phase of the interstellar medium, which is made up of mostly molecular hydrogen (H2). However, feedback from the star cluster has ionized some of the gas and blown a bubble in the cloud around the cluster.

The final rendition had applications of star masks in the individual LRGB masters, along with LHE in the L channel with mask still enabled and this brought out much more inner detail once applied.

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Revisions

  • SH2-64, Don Curry
    Original
  • Final
    SH2-64, Don Curry
    B

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SH2-64, Don Curry

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