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List of largest nebulae

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Below is a list of the largest nebulae so far discovered, ordered by size.

List

Legend
Lyman-alpha blob
Nebula
List of the largest nebulae
Nebula Size (ly/pc) Type Notes
LAB Giant Concentration
(coinciding with EQ J221734.0+001701) 		200,000,000 ly (61,000,000 pc)[1] complex of LαBs Also on record as one of the largest structures in the universe.
NGC 262 Halo Cloud 1,300,000–2,600,000 ly (400,000–800,000 pc) H I region Spiral nebula surrounding NGC 262. NGC 262 is also one of the largest known galaxies.
Magellanic Stream 600,000 ly (180,000 pc) complex of HVCs Connects the Large and Small Magellanic clouds; extends across 180° of the sky.
Lyman-alpha blob 1 300,000 ly (92,000 pc)[2] LαB Largest blob of the LAB Giant Concentration
Hanny's Voorwerp 100,000 ly (31,000 pc)[3] intergalactic cloud A quasar ionization echo cloud
Himiko Gas Cloud 55,000 ly (17,000 pc)"[4] intergalactic cloud
(possible LαB) 		One of the most massive nebulae known
Cygnus Rift 30,000 ly (9,200 pc) complex of dark nebulae Extends almost 100° of the sky
Smith's Cloud 3,300–9,800 ly (1,000–3,000 pc)[5] HVC Extends about 20° of the sky
Westerhout 31 3,000 ly (920 pc) complex of H II regions Located on the far side of our galaxy; largest H II region in the galaxy and in the Local Group
NGC 604 1,520 ly (470 pc)[6] H II region Located in the Triangulum Galaxy
Gum Nebula 1,100 ly (340 pc) Emission Nebula
N44 1,000 ly (310 pc)[7] Emission Nebula
The following well-known nebulae are listed for the purpose of comparison.
Nebulae Size (ly/pc) Type Notes
Carina Nebula 920 ly (280 pc)[8] Nebula complex Nearest giant H II region to Earth
NGC 206 800 ly (250 pc)
RCW 49 700 ly (210 pc)
Tarantula Nebula 600–652 ly (184–200 pc)[9] H II region Most active starburst region in the Local Group
Messier 24 600 ly (180 pc)
N119 400–600 ly (120–180 pc) H II region Peculiar S-shape
Rosette Nebula 130–500 ly (40–153 pc) H II region
Barnard's Loop 200–600 ly (61–184 pc)
Eagle Nebula 140–800 ly (43–245 pc)
Lagoon Nebula 40–110 ly (12–34 pc)

See also

References

  1. ^ Ravilious, Kate. "Giant "Blob" is Largest Thing in Universe". National Geographic News. Retrieved June 23, 2011.
  2. ^ "Giant Space Blob Glows from Within". ESO Press Release. 17 August 2011. Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  3. ^ "Stars in their eyes: An armchair astronomer discovers something very odd". The Economist. 26 June 2008. Retrieved 30 June 2008.
  4. ^ Hsu, Jeremy (2009-04-22). "Giant Mystery Blob Discovered Near Dawn of Time". SPACE.com. Retrieved 2009-04-24.
  5. ^ Lockman, Felix J.; Benjamin, Robert A.; Heroux, A. J.; Langston, Glen I. (May 2008). "The Smith Cloud: A High-Velocity Cloud Colliding with the Milky Way" (PDF). The Astrophysical Journal. 679 (1): L21. arXiv:0804.4155. Bibcode:2008ApJ...679L..21L. doi:10.1086/588838. Retrieved April 3, 2012.
  6. ^ distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 760 ly. radius
  7. ^ "Roses in the Southern Sky". ESO. 3 November 2003. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  8. ^ "NGC 3372 - The Eta Carinae Nebula". Atlas of the Universe. Retrieved 2013-10-01.
  9. ^ Lebouteiller, V.; Bernard-Salas, J.; Brandl, B.; Whelan, D. G.; et al. (June 2008). "Chemical Composition and Mixing in Giant H II Regions: NGC 3603, 30 Doradus, and N66". The Astrophysical Journal. 680 (1): 398–419. arXiv:0710.4549. Bibcode:2008ApJ...680..398L. doi:10.1086/587503.
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