Tarantula Nebula
| Emission nebula | |
|---|---|
The Tarantula Nebulataken by the Spitzer space telescope | |
| Observation data: J2000.0 epoch | |
| Right ascension | 05h 38m 38.00s |
| Declination | -69° 05' 42.0" |
| Distance | 160,000 ly ly |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | +8 |
| Apparent dimensions (V) | 40' × 25' |
| Constellation | Dorado |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Radius | 500 ly ly |
| Absolute magnitude (V) | ? |
| Notable features | In LMC |
| Designations | NGC 2070, 30 Doradus |
The Tarantula Nebula (also known as 30 Doradus, or NGC 2070) is an H II region in the Large Magellanic Cloud. It was originally thought to be a star, but in 1751 Nicolas Louis de Lacaille recognized its nebular nature.
The Tarantula Nebula has an apparent magnitude of 8. Considering its distance of about 160,000 light years, this is an extremely luminous object. In fact, it is the most active starburst region known in the Local Group of galaxies. 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, an extremely compact cluster of hot stars produces most of the energy that makes the nebula visible.
The closest supernova since the invention of the telescope, Supernova 1987A, occurred in the outskirts of the Tarantula Nebula.
See also the star cluster in Tarantula catalogued as Hodge 301.