From The European Southern Observatory
The Wide Field Imager, a 67-million pixel digital camera at the MPG/ESO 2.2-m telescope at the La Silla Observatory produces remarkable images for astronomical research. This is a composite photo of the H II region centered near N44 in the LMC. It is nebulae in which (some of) the gas is ionized, i.e. the atoms have lost one or more electrons by the action of energetic ultraviolet radiation emitted by very hot and luminous stars in this area. It is seen in front of rich star fields in this galaxy where there are several stellar clusters. N44 is a very bright, rich and well-studied complex in the LMC, somewhat part from the other nebulae in this galaxy.
This photo is based on exposures made through three optical filters, including a narrow-band one centered on the Ha spectral line from hydrogen (wavelength 656.2 nm in the red; light of this wavelength is emitted when protons and electrons combine to form hydrogen atoms). The red color thus traces the extremely complex distribution of ionized hydrogen within the nebulae. The present reproduction enhances this color to show the fainter structures. Note also the very different colors of individual stars, mostly reflecting their temperature, from the hottest (blue) to the coolest (red).
Based on press release with ESO PR Photo 26a/99
Catalog #: Photo 26a/99
Target Name: Beautiful Nebula N44 in the Large Magellanic Cloud
Last Modified On: Sunday, December 16, 2000