Slingshot Globule, IC 2944

OTA: TAO 150 (f/7.3)

Camera: FLI - ML16200 (1.13 arcseconds/pixel)

Observatory: Deep Sky West, Chile

EXPOSURES:

H 14 x 1800

S 16 x 1800

O 13 X 1800

Total exposure 21.5 hours

Processed by Alex Woronow (2020) using PixInsight, Skylum, Topaz, SWT

B. Reiputh, et al. (1997) examined the Bok Globules (aka Thackeray’s Globules) in IC 2944 and noted the following: “They appear precisely on the line-of-sight to luminous OB stars...and appear as shadows against the bright HII region.” And, this geometry allows one to discern exceptionally fine detail. Furthermore, the globules have masses in the range of 4 to 11 solar masses

As to the globules’ origins, they believe that the are eroded remnants of an “elephant’s trunk” and are now in an advanced stage of disintegration. They found no evidence of star formation within these globules, but other astronomers have suggested that some other globules are undergoing internal in-fall and possible proto-star formation.

Astronomy and Astrophysics, v.327, p.1185-1193 (1997)

Artifacts? Is all the detail real? I don’t know for sure, but there are not crossing dark lines scattered everywhere across the image...that’s a good sign! The Very-Large-Telescope (ESO) has an image that captures this object, but it is not clear if it is in RGB or narrowband, as is this image. Also, the online image has not been processed to extract the subtle tonal variations within the globules that could be there--probably the images underlying the published image would be more detailed. However, to the level that the published ESO image can do so, I see nothing that invalidates the current image. Nonetheless, the validity of the finest detail visible is yet to be substantiated. If you know of more cogent images relevant to the structure of this globule than the ESO image, https://www.eso.org/public/images/eso1322a/, please let me know.

I removed all but one star in this version. That one was the only one that overlapped the globule, so removing it certainly would have introduced artifacts.