Tarantula Nebula
Also known as 30 Dor · NGC 2070
Tarantula Nebula is an HII region (glowing hydrogen) in the constellation Dorado.
Giant star-forming region in the LMC
Facts
| Type | HII region (glowing hydrogen) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Dorado |
| Position (J2000) | 5h 38m 42s, −69° 06′ |
| Brightness | magnitude 5.4 (smaller is brighter; the faintest stars the eye sees are about 6) |
| Size on the sky | 16′ × 16′ (the full Moon is about 31′) |
| Filter | UHC (narrowband) filter (Glowing gas shines in a few colours of hydrogen and oxygen: a UHC filter passes those and blocks most light pollution and sky glow.) |
| Studied in | 2,273 scientific papers (SIMBAD) |
When and how to see it
Tarantula Nebula is highest in the sky at midnight in December. From India (about 20° N) it climbs to about 1° above the horizon; from 50° N it never rises. To see it you need the naked eye from a dark site.
Heights are worked out for India and for 50° N. Set your location in Settings to see them for where you are.
For tonight's best time from your own town, the darkness and the Moon, open it on the map and see its "Tonight from your location" card.
More in Dorado
Everything in Dorado · All 88 constellations · All sky objects
Data: SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg; the site's weekly copy) · OpenNGC · Data sources & credits