Tarantula Nebula NGC 2070The Tarantula Nebula is a major feature in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), which is the 4th largest galaxy in the
Local Group of Galaxies and is some 160,000 light-years away.
According to the information on Wikipedia, the Tarantula is extremely luminous: "Its luminosity is so great that if it were as close to Earth as the Orion Nebula (at 1,344 light-years), the Tarantula Nebula would cast visible shadows". Using a back of the envelope calculation, if the Tarantula were at the Orion Nebula's distance it would span the horizon to the zenith. Think yourself lucky that we don't have a nearby Tarantula Nebula in addition to the Moon and Elon Musk to contend with to do deep space astronomy (assuming you evolved into a cockroach-like lifeform to survive the great outpourings of lethal radiation from a nearby Tarantula nebula).
EquipmentThis is my first completed DSO project with a new telescope. It was a birthday present from my wife. Her largesse to my hobby goes beyond direct financial sponsorship as I use an old black tank-top of hers as a light shroud for the telescope's truss. It therefore is an important consideration to marry the correct size wife.
Identifying Features and Physical ScaleFrom the HubbleSite page:
TARANTULA NEBULA ANNOTATED MAP we have the following annotated image to identify interesting features in the inner Tarantula.
Many of these features can be found in the image, perhaps helped by vivid imagination enhanced by some cocktail of drugs.
How big is the Great Orion Nebula in comparison? The two blue circular HII regions annotated on the RHS of the image each are the diameter of the Orion Nebula.
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