Tarantula Nebula

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Tarantula Nebula
Emission nebula
H II region
Tarantula Nebula by JWST.jpg
James Webb Space Telescope's NIRCam view of the Tarantula Nebula
Observation data: J2000 epoch
Right ascension 05h 38m 38s [1]
Declination −69° 05.7′ [1]
Distance 160 ± 10 k  ly    (49 ± 3 [2] [3] k  pc)
Apparent magnitude (V)+8 [2]
Apparent dimensions (V)40′ × 25′ [2]
Constellation Dorado
Physical characteristics
Radius 931 [2] [4]  ly
Notable featuresIn LMC
DesignationsNGC 2070, [2] Doradus Nebula, [1] Dor Nebula, [1] 30  Doradus
See also: Lists of nebulae

The Tarantula Nebula (also known as 30 Doradus) is a large H II region in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), forming its south-east corner (from Earth's perspective).

Contents

Discovery

The brilliant stars in the Tarantula Nebula unleash a torrent of ultraviolet light and stellar winds that etch away at the hydrogen gas cloud in which the stars were born.

The Tarantula Nebula was observed by Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille during an expedition to the Cape of Good Hope between 1751 and 1753. He cataloged it as the second of the "Nebulae of the First Class", "Nebulosities not accompanied by any star visible in the telescope of two feet". It was described as a diffuse nebula 20' across. [5]

Johann Bode included the Tarantula in his 1801 Uranographia star atlas and listed it in the accompanying Allgemeine Beschreibung und Nachweisung der Gestirne catalog as number 30 in the constellation "Xiphias or Dorado". Instead of being given a stellar magnitude, it was noted to be nebulous. [6]

The name Tarantula Nebula arose in the mid-20th century from its appearance in deep photographic exposures. [7]

30 Doradus has often been treated as the designation of a star, [8] [9] or of the central star cluster NGC 2070, [10] but is now generally treated as referring to the whole nebula area of the Tarantula Nebula. [11] [12]

Properties

Hubble's high resolution view of the star-forming region of Tarantula Nebula and the R136 super star cluster at its center 30 Doradus, Tarantula Nebula.jpg
Hubble's high resolution view of the star-forming region of Tarantula Nebula and the R136 super star cluster at its center

The Tarantula Nebula has an apparent magnitude of 8. Considering its distance of about 49 kpc [2] (160,000 light-years), this is an extremely luminous non-stellar object. Its luminosity is so great that if it were as close to Earth as the Orion Nebula, the Tarantula Nebula would cast visible shadows. [13] In fact, it is the most active starburst region known in the Local Group of galaxies.

It is also one of the largest H II regions in the Local Group with an estimated diameter around 200 to 570 pc (650 to 1860 light years), [2] [3] and also because of its very large size, it is sometimes described as the largest. However, other H II regions such as NGC 604, which is in the Triangulum Galaxy, could be larger. [3] 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.

NGC 2070

Detail of RMC 136a, cluster NGC 2070 ESO - Eso1030a (by).jpg
Detail of RMC 136a, cluster NGC 2070

30 Doradus has at its centre the star cluster NGC 2070 which includes the compact concentration of stars known as R136 [14] that produces most of the energy that makes the nebula visible. The estimated mass of the cluster is 450,000 solar masses, suggesting it will likely become a globular cluster in the future. [15] In addition to NGC 2070, the Tarantula Nebula contains several other star clusters including the much older Hodge 301. The most massive stars of Hodge 301 have already exploded in supernovae. [16]

Supernova 1987A

The closest supernova observed since the invention of the telescope, [17] Supernova 1987A, occurred in the outskirts of the Tarantula Nebula. [18] There is a prominent supernova remnant enclosing the open cluster NGC 2060. Still, the remnants of many other supernovae are difficult to detect in the complex nebulosity. [19]

Black hole VFTS 243

An x-ray quiet black hole was discovered in the Tarantula Nebula, the first outside of the Milky Way Galaxy that does not radiate strongly. The black hole has a mass of at least 9 solar masses and is in a circular orbit with its 25 solar mass blue giant companion VFTS 243. [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Large Magellanic Cloud</span> Satellite galaxy of the Milky Way

The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is a dwarf galaxy and satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. At a distance of around 50 kiloparsecs (163,000 light-years), the LMC is the second- or third-closest galaxy to the Milky Way, after the Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal (c. 16 kiloparsecs (52,000 light-years) away) and the possible dwarf irregular galaxy called the Canis Major Overdensity. Based on the D25 isophote at the B-band (445 nm wavelength of light), the Large Magellanic Cloud is about 9.86 kiloparsecs (32,200 light-years) across. It is roughly one-hundredth the mass of the Milky Way and is the fourth-largest galaxy in the Local Group, after the Andromeda Galaxy (M31), the Milky Way, and the Triangulum Galaxy (M33).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Triangulum Galaxy</span> Spiral galaxy in the constellation Triangulum

The Triangulum Galaxy is a spiral galaxy 2.73 million light-years (ly) from Earth in the constellation Triangulum. It is catalogued as Messier 33 or NGC 598. With the D25 isophotal diameter of 18.74 kiloparsecs (61,100 light-years), the Triangulum Galaxy is the third-largest member of the Local Group of galaxies, behind the Andromeda Galaxy and the Milky Way.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">H II region</span> Large, low-density interstellar cloud of partially ionized gas

An H II region or HII region is a region of interstellar atomic hydrogen that is ionized. It is typically in a molecular cloud of partially ionized gas in which star formation has recently taken place, with a size ranging from one to hundreds of light years, and density from a few to about a million particles per cubic centimetre. The Orion Nebula, now known to be an H II region, was observed in 1610 by Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc by telescope, the first such object discovered.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sombrero Galaxy</span> Galaxy in the constellation Virgo

The Sombrero Galaxy is a peculiar galaxy of unclear classification in the constellation borders of Virgo and Corvus, being about 9.55 megaparsecs from the Milky Way galaxy. It is a member of the Virgo II Groups, a series of galaxies and galaxy clusters strung out from the southern edge of the Virgo Supercluster. It has an isophotal diameter of approximately 29.09 to 32.32 kiloparsecs, making it slightly bigger in size than the Milky Way.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Owl Nebula</span> Planetary nebula in the constellation Ursa Major

The Owl Nebula is a planetary nebula approximately 2,030 light years away in the constellation Ursa Major. Estimated to be about 8,000 years old, it is approximately circular in cross-section with a faint internal structure. It was formed from the outflow of material from the stellar wind of the central star as it evolved along the asymptotic giant branch. The nebula is arranged in three concentric shells, with the outermost shell being about 20–30% larger than the inner shell. The owl-like appearance of the nebula is the result of an inner shell that is not circularly symmetric, but instead forms a barrel-like structure aligned at an angle of 45° to the line of sight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messier 108</span> Galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major

Messier 108 is a barred spiral galaxy about 46 million light-years away from Earth in the northern constellation Ursa Major. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781 or 1782. From the Earth, this galaxy is seen almost edge-on.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 3603</span> Open cluster in the constellation Carina

NGC 3603 is a nebula situated in the Carina–Sagittarius Arm of the Milky Way around 20,000 light-years away from the Solar System. It is a massive H II region containing a very compact open cluster HD 97950.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sher 25</span> Star in the constellation Carina

Sher 25 is a blue supergiant star in the constellation Carina, located approximately 25,000 light years from the Sun in the H II region NGC 3603 of the Milky Way. It is a spectral type B1Iab star with an apparent magnitude of 12.2. Its initial main sequence mass is calculated at 60 times the mass of the Sun, but a star of this type will have already lost a substantial fraction of that mass. It is unclear whether Sher 25 has been through a red supergiant phase or has just evolved from the main sequence, so the current mass is very uncertain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R136</span> Super star cluster in the constellation Dorado, in the Large Magellanic Cloud

R136 is the central concentration of stars in the NGC 2070 star cluster, which lies at the centre of the Tarantula Nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud. When originally named it was an unresolved stellar object but is now known to include 72 class O and Wolf–Rayet stars within 5 parsecs of the centre of the cluster. The extreme number and concentration of young massive stars in this part of the LMC qualifies it as a starburst region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 602</span> Open cluster in the constrellation Hydrus

NGC 602 is a young, bright open cluster of stars located in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), a satellite galaxy to the Milky Way. It was discovered on 1 August 1826 by Scottish astronomer James Dunlop. It is embedded in a nebula known as N90.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 5307</span> Planetary nebula in the constellation Centaurus

NGC 5307 is a planetary nebula in the southern constellation of Centaurus, positioned less than 3° to the northeast of the star Epsilon Centauri. It was discovered by English astronomer John Herschel on April 15, 1836. The nebula is located at a distance of approximately 10.6 kilolight-years from the Sun. The central star, designated PNG 312.3+10.5, is a weak emission-line star, superficially similar to the WC subtype of Wolf–Rayet stars. It has a spectral class of O(H)3.5 V.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 2060</span> Star cluster in the constellation Dorado

NGC 2060 is a star cluster within the Tarantula Nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud, very close to the larger NGC 2070 cluster containing R136. It was discovered by John Herschel in 1836. It is a loose cluster approximately 10 million years old, within one of the Tarantula Nebula's superbubbles formed by the combined stellar winds of the cluster or by old supernovae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R136b</span> Star in the constellation Dorado

R136b is a blue supergiant star in the R136 cluster in the Large Magellanic Cloud. It is one of the most massive and most luminous stars known. It is found in the dense R136 open cluster at the centre of NGC 2070 in the Tarantula Nebula.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R136a1</span> Wolf–Rayet star with one of the highest mass and luminosity of any known star

R136a1 is one of the most massive and luminous stars known, at nearly 200 M☉ and nearly 4.7 million L☉, and is also one of the hottest, at around 46,000 K. It is a Wolf–Rayet star at the center of R136, the central concentration of stars of the large NGC 2070 open cluster in the Tarantula Nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The cluster can be seen in the far southern celestial hemisphere with binoculars or a small telescope, at magnitude 7.25. R136a1 itself is 100 times fainter than the cluster and can only be resolved using speckle interferometry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VFTS 682</span> Wolf Rayet star in the constellation Dorado

VFTS 682 is a Wolf–Rayet star in the Large Magellanic Cloud. It is located over 29 parsecs (95 ly) north-east of the massive cluster R136 in the Tarantula Nebula. It is 138 times the mass of the Sun and 3.2 million times more luminous, which makes it one of the most massive and most luminous stars known.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R136a2</span> Star in the constellation Dorado

R136a2 is a Wolf-Rayet star residing near the center of the R136, the central concentration of stars of the large NGC 2070 open cluster in the Tarantula Nebula, a massive H II region in the Large Magellanic Cloud which is a nearby satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. It has one of the highest confirmed masses and luminosities of any known star, at about 151 M☉ and 3.5 million L☉ respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R136a3</span> Star in the constellation Dorado

R136a3 is a Wolf–Rayet star in R136, a massive star cluster located in Dorado. It is located near R136a1, the most massive and luminous star known. R136a3 is itself one of the most massive and most luminous stars known at about 179 times more massive and 5 million times more luminous than the Sun.

BAT99-98 is a Wolf–Rayet star located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, in NGC 2070 near the R136 cluster in the Tarantula Nebula. At 226 M☉ and 5,000,000 L☉ it is the most massive known star, and close to one of the most luminous stars currently known.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "NAME 30 Dor Nebula". SIMBAD . Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg . Retrieved 2006-12-22.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Results for Tarantula Nebula". SEDS Students for the Exploration and Development of Space. Retrieved 2007-05-08. 30 Doradus .. 49 kpc +- 3 kpc
  3. 1 2 3 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. S2CID   16924851.
  4. ↑ distance × sin( diameter_angle / 2 ) = 931 ly. radius
  5. ↑ Jones, K. G. (1969). "The search for the nebulae - VI". Journal of the British Astronomical Association. 79: 213. Bibcode:1969JBAA...79..213J.
  6. ↑ Johann Elert Bode (1801). Allgemeine Beschreibung und Nachweisung der Gestirne: Nebst Verzeichniss der geraden Aufsteigung und Abweichung von 17240 Sternen, Doppelsternen, Nebelflecken und Sternhaufen:(zu dessen Uranographie gehörig). Selbstverl. pp. 1–.
  7. ↑ Feast, M. W. (1961). "A Study of the 30 Doradus Region of the Large Magellanic Cloud". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 122: 1–16. Bibcode:1961MNRAS.122....1F. doi: 10.1093/mnras/122.1.1 .
  8. ↑ Pickering, E. C.; Fleming, W. P. (1897). "Large Magellanic Cloud". Astrophysical Journal. 6: 459. Bibcode:1897ApJ.....6..459P. doi:10.1086/140426.
  9. ↑ "Notes on some Points connected with the Progress of Astronomy during the past Year". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 53 (4): 274. 1893. doi: 10.1093/mnras/53.4.263 .
  10. ↑ Andersen, M.; Zinnecker, H.; Moneti, A.; McCaughrean, M. J.; Brandl, B.; Brandner, W.; Meylan, G.; Hunter, D. (2009). "The Low-Mass Initial Mass Function in the 30 Doradus Starburst Cluster". The Astrophysical Journal. 707 (2): 1347–1360. arXiv: 0911.2755 . Bibcode:2009ApJ...707.1347A. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/707/2/1347. S2CID   118467387.
  11. ↑ Walborn, N. R. (1984). The Stellar Content of 30 Doradus. Vol. 108. pp. 243–253. Bibcode:1984IAUS..108..243W. doi:10.1017/S0074180900040328. ISBN   978-90-277-1723-8.{{cite book}}: |journal= ignored (help)
  12. ↑ Aguirre, J. E.; Bezaire, J. J.; Cheng, E. S.; Cottingham, D. A.; Cordone, S. S.; Crawford, T. M.; Fixsen, D. J.; Knox, L.; Meyer, S. S.; Norgaard-Nielsen, H. U.; Silverberg, R. F.; Timbie, P.; Wilson, G. W. (2003). "The Spectrum of Integrated Millimeter Flux of the Magellanic Clouds and 30 Doradus from Top Hat and DIRBE Data". The Astrophysical Journal. 596 (1): 273–286. arXiv: astro-ph/0306425 . Bibcode:2003ApJ...596..273A. doi:10.1086/377601. S2CID   14291665.
  13. ↑ "National Optical Astronomy Observatory Press Release: NEIGHBOR GALAXY CAUGHT STEALING STARS".
  14. ↑ Massey, P; Hunter, D. (January 1998). "Star Formation in R136: A Cluster of O3 Stars Revealed by Hubble Space Telescope Spectroscopy". The Astrophysical Journal. 493 (1): 180. Bibcode:1998ApJ...493..180M. doi: 10.1086/305126 . S2CID   122670111.
  15. ↑ Bosch, Guillermo; Terlevich, Elena; Terlevich, Roberto (2009). "Gemini/GMOS Search for Massive Binaries in the Ionizing Cluster of 30 Dor". Astronomical Journal. 137 (2): 3437–3441. arXiv: 0811.4748 . Bibcode:2009AJ....137.3437B. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/137/2/3437. S2CID   17976455.
  16. ↑ Grebel, Eva K.; Chu, You-Hua (2000). "Hubble Space Telescope Photometry of Hodge 301: An "Old" Star Cluster in 30 Doradus". Astronomical Journal. 119 (2): 787–799. arXiv: astro-ph/9910426 . Bibcode:2000AJ....119..787G. doi:10.1086/301218. S2CID   118590210.
  17. ↑ "Tarantula Nebula's Cosmic Web a Thing of Beauty". SPACE.com. 2011-03-21. Retrieved 2011-03-26.
  18. ↑ Couper, Heather; Henbest, Nigel (2009). Encyclopedia of Space. DK Publishing. p. 299. ISBN   978-0-7566-5600-3.
  19. ↑ Lazendic, J. S.; Dickel, J. R.; Jones, P. A. (2003). "Supernova Remnant Candidates in the 30 Doradus Nebula". The Astrophysical Journal. 596 (1): 287. Bibcode:2003ApJ...596..287L. doi: 10.1086/377630 .
  20. ↑ Shenar, Tomer; et al. (2022). "An X-ray-quiet black hole born with a negligible kick in a massive binary within the Large Magellanic Cloud". Nature Astronomy. 6 (9): 1085–1092. arXiv: 2207.07675 . Bibcode:2022NatAs...6.1085S. doi:10.1038/s41550-022-01730-y. S2CID   250626810.
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