The Very Large Telescope snaps a stellar nursery and celebrates fifteen years of operations

This intriguing new view of a spectacular stellar nursery IC 2944 is being released to celebrate a milestone: 15 years of ESO’s Very Large Telescope. This image also shows a group of thick clouds of dust known as the Thackeray globules silhouetted against the pale pink glowing gas of the nebula. These globules are under fierce bombardment from the ultraviolet radiation from nearby hot young stars. They are both being eroded away and also fragmenting, rather like lumps of butter dropped onto a hot frying pan. It is likely that Thackeray’s globules will be destroyed before they can collapse and form new stars.

Credit:

ESO

About the Image

Id:eso1322a
Type:Observation
Release date:23 May 2013, 12:00
Related releases:eso1322
Related announcements:ann13047
Size:3397 x 3451 px

About the Object

Name:IC 2944, IC 2948
Type:Milky Way : Star : Grouping : Cluster : Open
Milky Way : Nebula : Type : Star Formation
Distance:6500 light years
Constellation:Centaurus
Category:Nebulae

Image Formats

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3.1 MB
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Coordinates

Position (RA):11 38 20.36
Position (Dec):-63° 22' 22.43"
Field of view:7.18 x 7.18 arcminutes
Orientation:North is 0.1° left of vertical