Deep space
Tarantula Nebula
Open cluster and nebula · C103 · NGC 2070
Open cluster and nebula in Dorado
Photo: TRAPPIST/E. Jehin/ESO · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
The Tarantula Nebula is a large H II region in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), forming its south-east corner. The nebula is named for the arrangement of its bright, glowing gas filaments and dusty tendrils which stretch outward and look like the legs of a tarantula.
Description from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
In your sky
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Key facts
Distance
~170,000 light-years
Apparent mag.
+8.2
Apparent size
16.0′ × 16.0′
Best seen with
Binoculars
Catalogue
C103 · NGC 2070
Did you know
- Listed as Caldwell 103 in the Caldwell catalogue, also known as NGC 2070.
- Found in the constellation Dorado.
- Within reach of ordinary binoculars under dark skies.
