Sh2-54 is an extended bright nebula in the constellation of Serpens that belongs to an extended nebulosity that includes also the Eagle Nebula and the Omega Nebula. The older star population in this region has an average age of 4-5 millions years, and its components are grouped in the open cluster NGC 6604. Apo TEC140 (140/f7.2) - FLI Proline 16803 - Ha (720m) L (210m) R (150m) G (120m) B (120m) - Warrumbungle Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia
Gum 14 is a large emission nebula complex that also includes the bright and prominent reflection nebula NGC 2626, which is illuminated by a 10th magnitude star. Gum 14 is ionized by the supergiant star HD 73882 and was first catalogued in 1955 by the Australian astronomer Colin Gum. Subsequently, it was also included in the RCW catalogue in 1960 and is therefore also known as RCW 27. With a size of approximately 2 degrees, this giant nebula is the largest of a prominent grouping of emission nebulae to the north of the Vela Supernova remnant. Along with Gum 14, this group is comprised of the smaller Gum 15 (RCW 32) and the almost equally large Gum 17 (RCW 33). Gum 14 is a fairly active site of star formation and has an extensive series of dark clouds and bright rimmed globules. Detailed observations and studies by professional astronomers have also uncovered a small collection of Herbig Haro objects (not visible at a widefield scale) and cometary reflection nebulae associated with young stellar objects. Also visible near the top edge is the small planetary nebula Hen 2-11, one of hundreds discovered by the famous astronomer Karl Henize in the 1960's (text provided by Sakib Rasool) Apo TEC140 (140/f7.2) - FLI Proline 16803 - Ha (300m) L (270m) R (120m) G (120m) B (130m) - Warrumbungle Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia
The delightful Dark Doodad Nebula drifts through southern skies, a tantalizing target for binoculars in the constellation Musca, The Fly. The dusty cosmic cloud is seen against rich starfields just south of the prominent Coalsack Nebula and the Southern Cross. Stretching for about 3 degrees across this scene the Dark Doodad seems punctuated at its southern tip (lower left) by globular star cluster NGC 4372. Of course NGC 4372 roams the halo of our Milky Way Galaxy, a background object some 20,000 light-years away and only by chance along our line-of-sight to the Dark Doodad. The Dark Doodad's well defined silhouette belongs to the Musca molecular cloud, but its better known alliterative moniker was first coined by astro-imager and writer Dennis di Cicco in 1986 while observing comet Halley from the Australian outback. The Dark Doodad is around 700 light-years distant and over 30 light-years long (text adapted from APOD). Full resolution image shown at about 75% of original resolution. Apo TEC140 (140/f7.2) - FLI Proline 16803 - 2 panels mosaic, total L (440m) R (300m) G (300m) B (300m) - Warrumbungle Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia
