| Emission nebula | |
|---|---|
 Infrared image from the Spitzer Space Telescope | |
| Observation data: J2000 epoch | |
| Right ascension | 12h 11m 27.5s[1] |
| Declination | −62° 55′ 10″[1] |
| Distance | 32,000 ly (9,700[2] pc) |
| Constellation | Crux |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 130′[1] |
| Designations | GAL 298.4-00.4[1] |
The Dragonfish Nebula, as it is known for its appearance on infrared images, is a massive emission nebula and star-forming region 30,000 light-years from the Sun in the direction of the constellation Crux, the Southern Cross.[3]
The Dragonfish Nebula gets its name from a giant toothy fish known as the deep-sea dragonfish. The giant stars in this nebula blow a bubble in the surrounding gas. This bubble is over 100 light-years long and forms the mouth of the dragonfish. The two largest and luminous stars, which form its eyes, are said to be newly formed stars. The stars heat up the surrounding gas, giving off infrared light. The Dragonfish Nebula contains some of the most massive stars in the Milky Way galaxy.[4]
This nebula was first discovered in 2010 by Mubdi Rahman and Norman Murray from the University of Toronto. They discovered a cloud of ionized gas which led them to suspect that it was formed from the radiation of nearby stars. Since then more than four hundred stars have been found and there is reason to believe that many smaller stars are hiding in the cluster. The ionized gas around this cluster produces more microwaves than most clusters in our galaxy, making the Dragonfish Nebula the brightest and most massive cluster discovered so far.[5]
- ^ a b c d "NAME Dragonfish Nebula". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Rahman2010was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Dragonfish Coming at You in Infrared". NASA. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
- ^ "Dragonfish Coming at You in Infrared". Nasa.gov. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2017-04-28.
- ^ "Dragonfish nebula conceals giant star cluster". New Scientist. 209 (2794): 14. January 2011. Bibcode:2011NewSc.209...14.. doi:10.1016/S0262-4079(11)60022-5.