240710 - Sh2-11 "Lobster" nebula
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ASTRO:
type=Emission Nebula const=Scorpio mag=2.4 dist~8000 ly size~200 ly IMAGE: location=EB Driveway BrtlCls=4 moon=23% WxCr exposure=CMOS OSC: 68x235s (4.4h), G100 EQUIPMENT: camera=ZWO ASI2600MC-Pro optics=ES102 wStarizona 0.65x "L" reducer, F=464mm, f/4.6 filter=Optolong L-Pro LPS + L-eXtreme DNB mount=Celestron AVX guiding=Orion 60x240mm, ZWO ASi224MC SOFTWARE: acquisition=Stellarium, APT, PHD2 processing=PixInsight (RCAstro) (SetiAstro), PhotoshopCC (Lumenzia) (APF-R), LrC |
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Why is Sh2-11, the Lobster Nebula forming some of the most massive stars known? No one is yet sure. Also cataloged as NGC 6357, the Lobster houses the open star cluster Pismis 24 near its center -- a home to unusually bright and massive stars. The overall red glow near the inner star forming region results from emission of the characteristic red wavelength of light indicating the presence of ionized hydrogen gas. The surrounding nebula, featured here, holds a complex tapestry of gas, dark dust, stars still forming and newly born stars. The intricate patterns are caused by complex interactions between interstellar winds, radiation pressures, magnetic fields, and gravity. The object spans about 200 light years and lies about 8,000 light years away toward the constellation of Scorpio.
The nebula contains many proto-stars shielded by dark shrouds of gas, together with young stars wrapped in expanding "cocoons" of gases surrounding them. It was given the name War and Peace Nebula by scientists on the project team of the Midcourse Space Experiment because of its appearance, which, in infrared images resembles a flying dove in the bright, western part of the nebula cloud, while the eastern part looks like a skull. In 2012 a petition by Japanese anime fans to rename it as the Madokami nebula, due to its alleged resemblance to the comic character, was unsuccessful. Today, the "Lobster" is the IAU recognized name in use.
Pismis 24 lies deep within the heart of the nebula, and is home to several massive stars. One of the brightest stars in the cluster, Pismis 24-1, was initially thought to be the most massive star on record, approaching 300 solar masses, until it was discovered to be a multiple system of at least three stars. Still, the component stars remain near 100 solar masses each, making them among the more massive stars on record.
The young stellar cluster G353.2+0.7 lies east of Pismis 24 and has been revealed by the Chandra X-ray space telescope to contain approximately 800 stars. Similarly, G353.1+0.6, another young stellar cluster lying southeast of Pismis 24 also contains approximately 800 stars as detected by X-ray. The region also includes several O-type stars.
The Lobster is one of the most prominent sites of massive-star formation in our neighborhood of the Milky Way galaxy. The very large O-type stars residing within the nebula are blowing bubbles that can be seen in the molecular cloud.
The nebula contains many proto-stars shielded by dark shrouds of gas, together with young stars wrapped in expanding "cocoons" of gases surrounding them. It was given the name War and Peace Nebula by scientists on the project team of the Midcourse Space Experiment because of its appearance, which, in infrared images resembles a flying dove in the bright, western part of the nebula cloud, while the eastern part looks like a skull. In 2012 a petition by Japanese anime fans to rename it as the Madokami nebula, due to its alleged resemblance to the comic character, was unsuccessful. Today, the "Lobster" is the IAU recognized name in use.
Pismis 24 lies deep within the heart of the nebula, and is home to several massive stars. One of the brightest stars in the cluster, Pismis 24-1, was initially thought to be the most massive star on record, approaching 300 solar masses, until it was discovered to be a multiple system of at least three stars. Still, the component stars remain near 100 solar masses each, making them among the more massive stars on record.
The young stellar cluster G353.2+0.7 lies east of Pismis 24 and has been revealed by the Chandra X-ray space telescope to contain approximately 800 stars. Similarly, G353.1+0.6, another young stellar cluster lying southeast of Pismis 24 also contains approximately 800 stars as detected by X-ray. The region also includes several O-type stars.
The Lobster is one of the most prominent sites of massive-star formation in our neighborhood of the Milky Way galaxy. The very large O-type stars residing within the nebula are blowing bubbles that can be seen in the molecular cloud.