August 6, 2014 Lupus 3, a dark cloud in Scorpius Image Credit: ESO/F. Comeron Lupus 3 is a dark, star-forming cloud with an associated cluster of brilliant stars, located about 600 light-years from Earth within our Milky Way Galaxy in the southern constellation of Scorpius (the Scorpion). The section shown here is about five light-years [continue reading]
November 18, 2013 RCW 120, an emission nebula in Scorpius Image Credit: ESO/APEX/DSS2/SuperCosmos/Deharveng(LAM)/Zavagno(LAM) RCW 120 (also known as Sh2-3 and Gum 58) is an emission nebula, a star-forming (H II) region of about ten light-years across, located some 4,300 light-years away from Earth in the southern constellation of Scorpius (the Scorpion), slightly above the plane [continue reading]
October 26, 2013 The Fried Egg Nebula Image Credit: ESO/E. Lagadec The Fried Egg Nebula is a nebula of 600 – 800 light-years across surrounding IRAS 17163-3907, which is probably a rare yellow hypergiant star, located some 13,000 light-years away from Earth in the southern constellation of Scorpius (the Scorpion). After burning all their hydrogen [continue reading]
October 25, 2013 The Butterfly Cluster, an open cluster in Scorpius Image Credit: N.A.Sharp, Mark Hanna, REU program/NOAO/AURA/NSF The Butterfly Cluster (also known as Messier 6 or NGC 6405) is a bright open star cluster of some 12 light-years across, located around 1,600 light-years away from Earth in the southern constellation of Scorpius (the Scorpion). [continue reading]
September 19, 2013 The Ptolemy Cluster, an open star cluster in Scorpius Image Credit: N.A.Sharp, REU program/NOAO/AURA/NSF The Ptolemy Cluster (also known as Messier 7 or NGC 6475) is an open star cluster of some 25 light-years across that lies about 980 light-years away from Earth in the constellation of Scorpius (the Scorpion). It is [continue reading]
September 5, 2013 IC 4628, an emission nebula in Scorpius Image Credit & Copyright: Michael Sidonio (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002) IC 4628 (also known as the Prawn Nebula or Gum 56) is a large, faint emission nebula of about 250 light-years across, located some 6,000 light-years away from Earth in the southern constellation of Scorpius (the Scorpion). Hot, [continue reading]