Celestial hemisphere:  Southern  ·  Constellation: Dorado (Dor)  ·  Contains:  30 Dor Cluster  ·  NGC 2005  ·  NGC 2009  ·  NGC 2015  ·  NGC 2033  ·  NGC 2037  ·  NGC 2042  ·  NGC 2044  ·  NGC 2048  ·  NGC 2050  ·  NGC 2052  ·  NGC 2055  ·  NGC 2060  ·  NGC 2069  ·  NGC 2070  ·  NGC 2074  ·  NGC 2080  ·  NGC 2081  ·  NGC 2083  ·  NGC 2084  ·  NGC 2093  ·  NGC 2100  ·  NGC 2108  ·  NGC 2118  ·  Tarantula Nebula
Tarantula Nebula - Large Magellanic Cloud, Eyal
Tarantula Nebula - Large Magellanic Cloud
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Tarantula Nebula - Large Magellanic Cloud

Tarantula Nebula - Large Magellanic Cloud, Eyal
Tarantula Nebula - Large Magellanic Cloud
Powered byPixInsight

Tarantula Nebula - Large Magellanic Cloud

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Description

The Tarantula Nebula (also known as 30 Doradus) is an H II region in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), from the solar system's perspective forming its south-east corner.

The Tarantula Nebula has an apparent magnitude of 8. Considering its distance of about 49 kpc (160,000 light-years), this is an extremely luminous non-stellar object. Its luminosity is so great that if it were as close to Earth as the Orion Nebula, the Tarantula Nebula would cast visible shadows. In fact, it is the most active starburst region known in the Local Group of galaxies. It is also one of the largest H II regions in the Local Group with an estimated diameter around 200 to 570 pc, and also because of its very large size, it is sometimes described as the largest, although other H II regions such as NGC 604, which is in the Triangulum Galaxy, could be larger. The nebula resides on the leading edge of the LMC where ram pressure stripping, and the compression of the interstellar medium likely resulting from this, is at a maximum.

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Tarantula Nebula - Large Magellanic Cloud, Eyal