| Emission nebula | |
|---|---|
| open cluster | |
 | |
| Observation data: J2000.0epoch | |
| Right ascension | 11h 36m 36.0s |
| Declination | −63° 02′ 00″ |
| Distance | 6500[1] ly |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 4.5 |
| Apparent dimensions (V) | 75'[2] |
| Constellation | Centaurus |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Radius | 71[1][2] ly |
| Notable features | open cluster with nebulosity,Bok globules |
| Designations | IC 2944, RCW 62 Running Chicken Nebula, Lambda Cen Nebula,Caldwell 100. |
| See also:Lists of nebulae | |
IC 2944, also known as theRunning Chicken Nebula, theLambda Centauri Nebula or theλ Centauri Nebula, is anopen cluster with an associatedemission nebula found in the constellationCentaurus, near the starλ Centauri. It featuresBok 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.[3] Other designations for IC 2944 include RCW 62, G40 and G42.[4]
TheESOVery Large Telescope image on the right is a close up of a set ofBok globules discovered in IC 2944 byastronomerA. David Thackeray in 1950.[5] These globules are now known as Thackeray's Globules. In2MASS images, 6 stars are visible within the largest globule.
The region of nebulosity visible in modern images includes both IC 2944 and IC 2948, as well as the fainter IC 2872 nearby. IC 2948 is the brightestemission andreflection nebulae towards the southeast, while IC 2944 is the cluster of stars and surrounding nebulosity stretching towards λ Centauri.[6] IC 2944 gets the nickname "Running Chicken Nebula" from a group ofstars that resemble a runningchicken. The starLambda Centauri lies just outside IC 2944. Thenebulae is 6,500 light years fromearth.[7]
Media related toIC 2944 at Wikimedia Commons
