IC 2944 (Lambda Centauri Nebula)
IC 2944 (also known as the Lambda Centauri Nebula, Running Chicken Nebula, Caldwell 100) is a diffuse nebula and open cluster in the constellation Centaurus. It has an apparent visual magnitude of 4.5 and its angular diameter is 15 arc-minutes. IC 2944 lies at an estimated distance of 6000 light years. The Equinox 2000 coordinates are 11h 36.6m, -63° 02´ which makes IC 2944 a Southern Hemisphere object that is best seen during the spring. The Caldwell Spring Star Chart shows the position of all Caldwell objects visible during that season. Visit the Caldwell Catalog Photo Gallery to see more objects from this catalog. As one of the more famous objects in the Caldwell Catalog, it is commonly known as the Lambda Centauri Nebula.
The nebula features Bok globules, which are frequently a site of active star formation. However, no evidence for star formation has been found in any of the globules in IC 2944.. See Wikipedia for more information.
For a wider angle view, see IC 2944 (AP155 EDF).
Technical Details
- Object: IC 2944
- Other Names: Lambda Centauri Nebula, Running Chicken Nebula, Caldwell 100
- Object Type: diffuse nebula
- Object Data: Apparent Magnitude = 4.5, Angular Size = 15 arc-minutes
- Object Position (Equinox 2000): 11h 36.6m, -63° 02´, Constellation = Centaurus
- Date: 2021 Feb 05 - Feb 08 (4 nights)
- Location: Chile Remote Observatory, Observatorio El Sauce, Chile
- Partnership: Operated in partnership with David Churchill
- Telescope: Planewave CDK-17 (with Focal Reducer: f/4.5; FL = 1945mm)
- Camera: QHY 16200A with Integral 7-position Filter Wheel
- Mount: Astro-Physics 1600GTO
- Guider: Agena Starguide II / SBIG STi
- Sub-Exposures: Astronomik Filters
- Luminance: 51x10 min = 510 min
- Red: 24 x 10 min = 240 min
- Green: 24 x 10 min = 240 min
- Blue: 24 x 10 min = 240 min - Total Exposure: 20h 30m
- File Name: IC2944-CDK21-C01w.jpg
- Field of View: 38.9' x 58.3' at 0.64 arc-sec/pixel
- Original Image Size: 3630 x 4540 pixels (16.5 MP); 12.1" x 15.1" @ 300 dpi
- Data Acquisition: David Churchill
- Image Processing: Fred Espenak
- Maxim DL: Image Calibration, Stacking, Digital Development Processing
- Adobe Camera Raw: Noise Reduction
- Photoshop CC: Curves, Levels
- Topaz Labs: Sharpen AI - Copyright: Fred Espenak