260814 - C68 "Rampaging Baboon" nebula
ASTRO:
type=reflection + emission nebula
mag=(unk)
const=Corona Australis
dist=500 ly
size=10 ly
IMAGE:
location=EB Driveway
BrtlCls=4
moon=1.5% WxCr
exposure=CMOS OSC: 125x180s (6.3h), G100
color palette=RGB
EQUIPMENT:
optics=ES102CF APO / Stellarvue 0.8x rdcr, FL(eff.)=571mm, f(eff.)/5.6
camera=ZWO ASI2600MC=Pro
filter=Optolong L-Pro LPS
mount=Celestron AVX EQ
guiding=Orion 60x240mm, ZWO ASI224MC
SOFTWARE:
acquisition=Stellarium, NINA, PHD2
processing=PixInsight (RCAstro), Photoshop (Lumenzia, APF-R, WebSharp-Pro)
click image to enlarge
Who says Astronomers don't have a sense of humor?
Until recently this object had no common name; simply because the astronomical community had not yet come to consensus over, let alone even proposed, its 'likeness'. But with the recent popularity among amateur astrophotographers to capture and bring-out surrounding integrated flux nebula ("IFN" for short) that exists around most nebulae across our home Milky Way galaxy, this shape is becoming more and more popular and recognizable. The common name that seems to be emerging is, the "Rampaging Baboon", which can be easily discerned with a modest amount of imagination. Also known as C68 from the Caldwell catalogue, and NGC 6729, this striking interstellar cloud of dust and stars is part of a larger molecular cloud complex, which is known for its role in star formation. Located in the constellation Corona Australis, and a mere 500 light-years away, this object is very close by astronomical standards. It is only about one-third the distance of the more famous, but similarly close stellar nursery, the Orion Nebula. IFN tends to be a difficult detail to capture in photographs; because, its surface brightness is extremely low. What brightness exists is produced largely by reflection of the background illumination produced by the summation of distant stars across the entire Milky Way galaxy. Thanks to today's sensitive CMOS camera technology, and "fast" focal ratios of today's small refractor telescopes, more and more amateur astrophotographers are figuring out how to bring these faint, dusty formations into view. This nebula contains a number of Characteristics that make it an important object for study... - Dust Clouds: It is characterized by brown dust clouds mixed with bright nebulosities. The clouds effectively block light from more distant background stars in the Milky Way, and obscure from view embedded stars still in the process of formation. These clouds are crucial for the formation of stars, as they provide the necessary material from which new stars are born. - Reflection Nebulae: The "eyes" of the baboon are actually blue reflection nebulae cataloged as NGC 6726, 6727, 6729, and IC 4812. These nebulae reflect light from bright and powerful, but deeply embedded stars, giving the clouds their distinctive blue color. - Hydrogen Emission: The "nose" and "mouth" of the baboon glow a faint red hue due to light emitted by energized hydrogen gas, which is a common feature in regions of active star formation. - Herbig-Haro objects: Inside the "nose" of the baboon, small arcs of glowing gas are seen. They originate as glowing patches of gas and dust created when supersonic jets of material ejected by newborn stars (protostars) crash into surrounding molecular clouds at hundreds of kilometers per second. - Globular Cluster: Just to the upper left of the baboon's "head" lies NGC 6723, a globular cluster of stars. Actually located far beyond the dust of the baboon - nearly 30,000 light-years distant - this 'apparent' proximity to the closer celestial objects adds to the nebula's significance in the study of stellar formation and evolution. This is not only a visually striking feature in the night sky, but also an important area for astronomers studying the processes of star formation and the dynamics of molecular clouds. ...And for amateurs who are looking for objects on the "lighter side" of the craft, there is no better nighttime sky object than the Rampaging Baboon to bring a smile to one's heart.
Until recently this object had no common name; simply because the astronomical community had not yet come to consensus over, let alone even proposed, its 'likeness'. But with the recent popularity among amateur astrophotographers to capture and bring-out surrounding integrated flux nebula ("IFN" for short) that exists around most nebulae across our home Milky Way galaxy, this shape is becoming more and more popular and recognizable. The common name that seems to be emerging is, the "Rampaging Baboon", which can be easily discerned with a modest amount of imagination. Also known as C68 from the Caldwell catalogue, and NGC 6729, this striking interstellar cloud of dust and stars is part of a larger molecular cloud complex, which is known for its role in star formation. Located in the constellation Corona Australis, and a mere 500 light-years away, this object is very close by astronomical standards. It is only about one-third the distance of the more famous, but similarly close stellar nursery, the Orion Nebula. IFN tends to be a difficult detail to capture in photographs; because, its surface brightness is extremely low. What brightness exists is produced largely by reflection of the background illumination produced by the summation of distant stars across the entire Milky Way galaxy. Thanks to today's sensitive CMOS camera technology, and "fast" focal ratios of today's small refractor telescopes, more and more amateur astrophotographers are figuring out how to bring these faint, dusty formations into view. This nebula contains a number of Characteristics that make it an important object for study... - Dust Clouds: It is characterized by brown dust clouds mixed with bright nebulosities. The clouds effectively block light from more distant background stars in the Milky Way, and obscure from view embedded stars still in the process of formation. These clouds are crucial for the formation of stars, as they provide the necessary material from which new stars are born. - Reflection Nebulae: The "eyes" of the baboon are actually blue reflection nebulae cataloged as NGC 6726, 6727, 6729, and IC 4812. These nebulae reflect light from bright and powerful, but deeply embedded stars, giving the clouds their distinctive blue color. - Hydrogen Emission: The "nose" and "mouth" of the baboon glow a faint red hue due to light emitted by energized hydrogen gas, which is a common feature in regions of active star formation. - Herbig-Haro objects: Inside the "nose" of the baboon, small arcs of glowing gas are seen. They originate as glowing patches of gas and dust created when supersonic jets of material ejected by newborn stars (protostars) crash into surrounding molecular clouds at hundreds of kilometers per second. - Globular Cluster: Just to the upper left of the baboon's "head" lies NGC 6723, a globular cluster of stars. Actually located far beyond the dust of the baboon - nearly 30,000 light-years distant - this 'apparent' proximity to the closer celestial objects adds to the nebula's significance in the study of stellar formation and evolution. This is not only a visually striking feature in the night sky, but also an important area for astronomers studying the processes of star formation and the dynamics of molecular clouds. ...And for amateurs who are looking for objects on the "lighter side" of the craft, there is no better nighttime sky object than the Rampaging Baboon to bring a smile to one's heart.