RCW 71 - Emission Nebula in the constellation Southern Cross
This small emission nebula is located in the northern part of the "Coal Sack", a large dark cloud in the constellation Southern Cross. However, both objects meet only by chance, because RCW 71 lies in a much more distant part of the Milky Way.
At the bottom of the image the reddish star RX Crucis can be seen. It is very old giant star, with a considerable amount of carbon in its upper gas layers. From this, various molecules are formed which absorb blue and yellow light and make the star appear in deep red color.
| Date: | 03.05.2022 |
| Optics: | Planewave CDK 12.5 with Televue 0.8x reducer |
| Aperture: | 318 mm |
| Focal Length: | 2030 mm |
| Camera: | Alccd12 |
| Exposure: | 35 x 600 s |
| Location: | Chamaeleon Observatory, Onjala Lodge, Namibia |
| Processing: | Nebulosity, Starnet++, Photoshop |
| Diameter: | 5 light years |
| Distance: | 5,600 light years |
