Emission nebula | |
---|---|
Observation data: J2000 epoch | |
Right ascension | 17 20 50.9h [1] |
Declination | −36° 06′ 54″ [1] |
Distance | 4.37 ± 0.65 kly (1.34 ± 0.2 kpc) [2] ly |
Apparent dimensions (V) | 40'×23' |
Constellation | Scorpius |
Physical characteristics | |
Radius | 40 ly |
Designations |
NGC 6334, ESO 392-EN 009,
[3] Sharpless 8, RCW 127, Gum 64 |
NGC 6334, colloquially known as the Cat's Paw Nebula, or Gum 64, is an emission nebula and star-forming region located in the constellation Scorpius. [4] NGC 6334 was discovered by astronomer John Herschel in 1837, who observed it from the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. [5] The nebula is located in the Carina–Sagittarius Arm of the Milky Way, [6] at a distance of approximately 5.5 kilolight-years from the Sun. [7]
The nebula is a high mass filamentary cloud structure spanning ~320 ly. In the visible part of the spectrum, it emits mainly in red (from hydrogen atoms) and blue (from oxygen atoms). [8] Several embedded star-forming regions have been identified from infrared and radio emissions. Four of these sites have formed H II regions. [6]