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| Catalogue and alternative designations | NGC
6357, Lobster Nebula
|
| Type | Emission nebula |
| Position | 17 24.6, -34 10 |
| Constellation | Scorpius |
| Camera and Telescope | STXL16200 and 36.8cm RCOS Ritchey Chretien |
| Focal Ratio | F9 |
| Exposure Details | This
is a LSIIHaOIII image with
Luminance = 165 minutes, Sulphur
II = 300 minutes, Hydrogen Alpha
= 180 minutes and Oxygen III =
270 minutes using Astrodon 3nm
filters
|
| Description | For
reasons unknown, NGC 6357 is
forming some of the most massive
stars ever discovered. One such
massive star, near the center of
NGC 6357, is framed above
carving out its own interstellar
castle with its energetic light
from surrounding gas and dust.
In the greater nebula, the
intricate patterns are caused by
complex interactions between
interstellar winds, radiation
pressures, magnetic fields, and
gravity. The overall glow of the
nebula results from the emission
of light from ionized
hydrogen. Near the more obvious
Cat's Paw nebula, NGC 6357
houses the open star cluster
Pismis 24, home to many of these
tremendously bright and blue
stars. The central part of NGC
6357 shown spans about 10 light
years and lies about 8,000 light
years away toward the
constellation of Scorpius.
(Description taken from APOD)
|