05h39m44.2s, -69° 38′44″| Emission nebula | |
|---|---|
AHST image of a Star-forming region NGC 2080.
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| Observation data: J2000.0 epoch | |
| Right ascension | 05h39m 44.2s |
| Declination | −69° 38′ 44″ |
| Distance | 160,000 ly |
| Constellation | Dorado |
| Designations | ESO 057-EN012, h 2950, GC 1278 |
| See also: Lists of nebulae | |
NGC 2080, also known as the Ghost Head Nebula, is a star-forming region and emission nebula to the south of the 30 Doradus (Tarantula) nebula, in the southern constellation Dorado. It belongs to the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy to the Milky Way, which is at a distance of 168,000 light years.[1] NGC 2080 was discovered by John Frederick William Herschel in 1834.[2] The Ghost Head Nebula has a diameter of 50 light-years[3] and is named for the two distinct white patches it possesses, called the "eyes of the ghost".[4] The western patch, called A1, has a bubble in the center which was created by the young, massive star it contains. The eastern patch, called A2, has several young stars in a newly formed cluster, but they are still obscured by their originating dust cloud.[1][4] Because neither dust cloud has dissipated due to the stellar radiation, astronomers have deduced that both sets of stars formed within the past 10,000 years.[4] These stars together have begun to create a bubble in the nebula with their outpourings of material, called stellar wind.[5]
The presence of stars also greatly influences the color of the nebula. The western portion of the nebula has a dominant oxygen emission line because of a powerful star on the nebula's outskirts; this colors it green.[4] The rest of the nebula's outskirts have a red hue due to the ionization of hydrogen.[4] Because both hydrogen and oxygen are ionized in the central region, it appears pale yellow; when hydrogen is energized enough to emit a second wavelength of light, it appears blue, as in the area surrounding A1 and A2.[1][4]
NGC 2080 should not be confused with the Ghost Nebula (Sh2-136) or the Little Ghost Nebula (NGC 6369).
