Emission nebula | |
---|---|
H II region | |
Observation data: J2000.0 epoch | |
Right ascension | N/A |
Declination | N/A |
Distance | 20,000 ly |
Constellation | Vela |
Designations | RCW 42, Gum 26, "Caught Pink-Handed" Nebula |
RCW 42 (or Gum 26), is a giant H II region[1] in the Milky Way. It contains DBS2003 38, a deeply embedded infrared cluster.[2] It lies at the western edge of the immense galactic chimney GSH 277+00+36. Not much research has been done on RCW 42, which is unusual, given that its status as a giant HII region suggests that it is one of the greatest and largest regions of star formation in the Milky Way.[3]