RCW 49
| Emission nebula | |
|---|---|
| H II region | |
| File:Rcw49 spitzer c1.jpg RCW 49 by the Spitzer Space Telescope | |
| Observation data: J2000.0[1] epoch | |
| Right ascension | 10h 24m 14.6s [1] |
| Declination | โ57° 46′ 58″ [1] |
| Distance | 13,700 ly |
| Constellation | Carina |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Radius | 150-200 ly |
| Designations | RCW 49, GUM 29, NGC 3247 |
RCW 49, also known as NGC 3247, is a H II region[1] nebula located 13,700 light years away.[2] Other designations for the RCW 49 region include NGC 3247 and G29[3] and it is commonly known as the Whirling Dervish Nebula.[4] It is a dusty stellar nursery that contains more than 2,200 stars[2] and is about 300-400 light years across.[5] RCW 49 is recognized as among the brightest and most massive HII regions.[6]
In 2004, a 2003 image by the Spitzer Space Telescope was released showing the nebula in infrared wavelengths.[2] This included an image showing the infrared colors mapped to visible light colors: 3.6 microns (blue), 4.5 microns (green), 5.8 microns (orange) and 8 microns (red).[2] It was noted as being almost 14 thousand light years from Earth, and the infrared camera could detect the stars obscured by dust clouds.[2] It was estimated at least 200 of the stars in the nebula have dust disks.[7]
The results of observations of the Spitzer Telescope, including the IRAC camera, have been studied leading to the conclusion that the region is a star-forming region.[6] In 2014, RCW 49 was identified as a bow shock candidate, along with M17 in a study of Extended Red Objects (ERO's) and Stellar Wind Bow Shocks in the Carina nebula.[8]
See also
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ^ a b c d SIMBAD, RCW 49 (accessed 4 April 2012)
- ^ a b c d e Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
External links
[edit | edit source]- Error creating thumbnail: File missing Media related to Lua error in Module:Commons_link at line 62: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). at Wikimedia Commons
- RCW 49 picture and information
- NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day: Cosmic Construction Zone RCW 49 (3 June 2004)
- Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- Constellation Guide Westerlund 2 and Gum 29
