30 Doradus: The Tarantula Zone
Explanation:
The
Tarantula Nebula is more than 1,000 light-years across -
a giant emission nebula within our
neighboring galaxy
the Large Magellanic Cloud.
Inside this cosmic
arachnid
lies a central young cluster of massivestars, cataloged as
R136, whose intense radiation and strong winds
have helped energize the nebular glow and shape the spidery filaments.
In this
impressive color mosaic of images from the
Curtis Schmidt telescope at
Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory
(CTIO) in
Chile,
other young star clusters can be seen still within the nebula's grasp.
Also notable among the
denizens
of the Tarantula zone are several
dark clouds, sprawling wispy filaments of gas,
compact emission nebula,
nearly spherical supernova remnants,
and areas surrounding hot stars known as
superbubbles.
The rich mosaic's field of view covers an area on the sky
about the size of the full moon in the southern
constellation Dorado.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
