Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
Sh2-184 Pacman Nebula (aka NGC 281) with IC1590 Open Cluster (with optional stars), Mau_Bard
Sh2-184 Pacman Nebula (aka NGC 281) with IC1590 Open Cluster (with optional stars), Mau_Bard

Sh2-184 Pacman Nebula (aka NGC 281) with IC1590 Open Cluster (with optional stars)

Revision title: Starless

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
Sh2-184 Pacman Nebula (aka NGC 281) with IC1590 Open Cluster (with optional stars), Mau_Bard
Sh2-184 Pacman Nebula (aka NGC 281) with IC1590 Open Cluster (with optional stars), Mau_Bard

Sh2-184 Pacman Nebula (aka NGC 281) with IC1590 Open Cluster (with optional stars)

Revision title: Starless

Equipment

Loading...

Acquisition details

Loading...

Description

NGC 281, IC 11 or Sh2-184 is a bright emission nebula and part of a H II region in the northern constellation of Cassiopeia and is part of the Milky Way's Perseus Spiral Arm. This 20×30 arcmin sized nebulosity is also associated with open cluster IC 1590, several Bok globules and the multiple star, B 1. It collectively forms Sh2-184, spanning over a larger area of 40 arcmin. A recent distance from radio parallaxes of water masers at 22 GHz made during 2014 is estimated it lies 2.82±0.20 kpc. (9200 ly.) from us. Colloquially, NGC 281 is also known as the Pacman Nebula for its resemblance to the video game character.

Edward Emerson Barnard discovered the nebula in August 1883, describing it as "a large faint nebula, very diffuse." Multiple star 'B 1' or β 1 was later discovered by S. W. Burnham, whose bright component is identified as the highly luminous O6 spectral class star, HD 5005 or HIP 4121. It consists of an 8th-magnitude primary with four companions at distances between 1.4 and 15.7 arcsec. There has been no appreciable change in this quintuple system since the first measures were made in 1875.

IC 1590 is an open cluster located in the nebulosity of NGC 281. 279 stars with magnitudes less than or equal to 17 are visible within or near the cluster. The cluster is estimated to be 3.5 million years old, making it relatively young compared to other star systems. Inside the cluster is a multiple-star system that emits light which helps give the dust in NGC 281 its glow.

Comments