RCW 106

Coordinates: (332.9°, -0.6°)

The massive star formation region RCW 106 is visible in the direction of the R103 OB association and is embedded in a 100 thousand solar mass 28 pc x 94 pc giant molecular cloud. It is ionised in part by the two obscured infrared star clusters slightly separated from the visible luminosity: IRAS 16132-5039 and IRAS 16177-5018. IRAS 16177-5018 contains the ultrahot star [RAL2003] IRS 1, which is probably an O3 I supergiant. IRAS 16132-5039 contains the O9.5 V / B0 V star [RA2004a] IRS 3.

Avedisova places RCW 106 in the star formation region SFR 332.87-0.64 with 97 components, including 25 masers.

You can view the RCW 106 complex in this Spitzer infrared image anhd get a wider scale view in this MSX infrared image.

Analysis of infrared clusters.[1]

RCW 106 is a massive star formation region.[2]

RCW 106 is embedded in a larger 100 thousand solar mass 28 pc x 94 pc giant molecular cloud.[3]

The RCW catalog designates the two brightest regions of this nebula as RCW 106a and RCW 106b but these do not appear to be distinct objects.

Notes

1. ^ Roman-Lopes, A., Abraham, Z., Ortiz, R., et al. (2009). "GEMINI near-infrared spectroscopic observations of young massive stars embedded in molecular clouds", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 394, 467-478. [2009MNRAS.394..467R]

2. ^ Karnik, A. D., Ghosh, S. K., Rengarajan, T. N., et al. (2001). "Study of star formation in RCW 106 using far-infrared observations", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 326, 293-302. [2001MNRAS.326..293K]

3. ^ Mookerjea, B., Kramer, C., Nielbock, M., et al. (2004). "The Giant Molecular Cloud associated with RCW 106. A 1.2 mm continuum mapping study", Astronomy and Astrophysics, Vol. 426, 119-129. [2004A&A...426..119M]

Distance estimates

3600 pc [2004A&A...426..119M]
2600 pc +/- 700 [2009MNRAS.394..467R]
3650 pc +/- 200 [1989BAICz..40...42A]

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RCW 106

Most of the sources used to create these nebula descriptions are listed in the notes section for each description. In some cases, for example the Avedisova, Humphreys and Reed catalogs, the source is used extensively and is not listed in the individual nebula descriptions. See this catalog overview for more information on the catalogs and the general sources used to create these descriptions and this introduction to HII regions on the general history of this area of astronomy.

This image was created using the POSS-II/UKSTU data of the Digitized Sky Survey and SuperCOSMOS using the process described here.

According to my correspondence with the Royal Observatory Edinburgh and the Space Telescope Science Institute, I am allowed to use the POSS-II/UKSTU data to create and display images for non-commercial purposes so long as I include this fine print for the SuperCOSMOS data:

Use of these images is courtesy of the UK Schmidt Telescope (copyright in which is owned by the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council of the UK and the Anglo-Australian Telescope Board) and the Southern Sky Survey as created by the SuperCOSMOS measuring machine and are reproduced here with permission from the Royal Observatory Edinburgh.

and this acknowledgement taken from the DSS site:

The Digitized Sky Surveys were produced at the Space Telescope Science Institute under U.S. Government grant NAG W-2166. The images of these surveys are based on photographic data obtained using the Oschin Schmidt Telescope on Palomar Mountain and the UK Schmidt Telescope. The plates were processed into the present compressed digital form with the permission of these institutions.

The Second Palomar Observatory Sky Survey (POSS-II) was made by the California Institute of Technology with funds from the National Science Foundation, the National Geographic Society, the Sloan Foundation, the Samuel Oschin Foundation, and the Eastman Kodak Corporation.

The UK Schmidt Telescope was operated by the Royal Observatory Edinburgh, with funding from the UK Science and Engineering Research Council (later the UK Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council), until 1988 June, and thereafter by the Anglo-Australian Observatory. The blue plates of the southern Sky Atlas and its Equatorial Extension (together known as the SERC-J), as well as the Equatorial Red (ER), and the Second Epoch [red] Survey (SES) were all taken with the UK Schmidt.

The "Second Epoch Survey" of the southern sky was made by the Anglo-Australian Observatory (AAO) with the UK Schmidt Telescope. Plates from this survey have been digitized and compressed by the ST ScI. The digitized images are copyright ? 1993-5 by the Anglo-Australian Observatory Board, and are distributed herein by agreement.

The "Equatorial Red Atlas" of the southern sky was made with the UK Schmidt Telescope. Plates from this survey have been digitized and compressed by the ST ScI. The digitized images are copyright ? 1992-5, jointly by the UK SERC/PPARC (Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council, formerly Science and Engineering Research Council) and the Anglo-Australian Telescope Board, and are distributed herein by agreement.

The compressed files of the "Palomar Observatory - Space Telescope Science Institute Digital Sky Survey" of the northern sky, based on scans of the Second Palomar Sky Survey are copyright ? 1993-1995 by the California Institute of Technology and are distributed herein by agreement. The compressed files of the "Palomar Observatory - Space Telescope Science Institute Digital Sky Survey" of the northern sky, based on scans of the Second Palomar Sky Survey are copyright ? 1993-1995 by the California Institute of Technology and are distributed herein by agreement.