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Date: 02/04/2011

DeepSkyStacker

Name:  NGC 2070 - Tarantula Nebula

Considering its distance of about 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 shadows. In fact, it is the most active starburst region known in the Local Group of galaxies. It is also the largest such region in the Local Group with an estimated diameter of 652 light years. 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. At its core lies the compact star cluster R136 (approx diameter 35 light years) that produces most of the energy that makes the nebula visible. The estimated mass of the cluster is 450,000 solar masses, suggesting it will likely become a globular cluster in the future.

 

 

Location: Greenwood WA (Backyard) Stacking Mode:  Mosaic
Camera: Canon 20D - LP Filter Removed Alignment Method:  Automatic
Optics: Skywatcher ED80. Stacking Mode:  Mosaic
Exposure: 800ASA @ 3 Minutes x 44 RGB BKG Cal:  Yes
Total Exposure:   1 hr  39 mins Per Channel Cal:  Yes
Guiding: DSI on Mead LX200R. Method:  Median Kappa-Sigma K=2/I=5
Filter: Astronomik CLS-CCD Darks:  Yes
Focus: Bahtinov Mask Flat:  No
  Full Details

Position in Sky

PhotoShop CS4

RA (J2000):  5h 38m Levels, Colour Balance, Curves, Saturation Scaling, jpeg Conversion.
DEC (J2000): -69* 
Constellation:  Dorado
Distance: 160,000 Light Years