Tarantula Nebula
NGC 2070
Propriedades
Posição e Identificadores
Visibilidade
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Sobre Tarantula Nebula
Descrição
The Tarantula Nebula (NGC 2070) is the largest and most luminous HII region in the Local Group, located in the Large Magellanic Cloud about 160,000 light-years away in Dorado. Spanning 40 arcminutes (200 light-years), it would cover 30 degrees of sky if placed at the Orion Nebula's distance.
Dicas de Observação
Visible to the naked eye as a bright knot in the LMC. Binoculars reveal its extent and the central star cluster R136. A telescope shows intricate loops, arcs, and filaments of nebulosity. An OIII filter enhances the detail. Best from southern latitudes year-round when the LMC is visible.
História
First noted by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in 1751. The massive star cluster R136 at its heart was initially thought to be a single supermassive star of 1,000+ solar masses until resolved into individual stars. Supernova 1987A exploded on the nebula's outskirts.
Curiosidades
R136a1, the most massive star in the central cluster, has about 196 solar masses and is over 6 million times as luminous as the Sun. If the Tarantula Nebula were at the distance of the Orion Nebula, it would be bright enough to cast shadows on Earth.
Fotos da Comunidade (1)
Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Webb ERO Production Team. License: Public domain. (Wikimedia Commons)
Skybred Mar 2, 2026