Gum 23 and Gum 22: diffuse nebulae in Vela

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Gum 23 , also known as RCW 38, is a diffuse nebula visible in the constellation Vela. You can spot it about halfway between the stars λ and δ Velorum , in an area of ​​sky full of very dense star fields and other nebulae , including the famous Vela nebula. It is an HII region in which is active and vigorous the phenomenon of star formation , as evidenced by the strong infrared emission ; in the inner regions , in a diameter of 5 light years , there are a thousand hot young stars , gathered in an open cluster in formation. The X-ray emission indicates the presence of a strong magnetic field , probably produced by a supernova explosion occurred within the cluster. Although direct evidence of the explosion has been observed only thousands of years ago, the shock wave produced by the explosion could be responsible for the electronic excitation. The distance of the complex is estimated at 5500 light years.

Gum 22 (RCW 38a) is the bright nebula surrounding the O5.5V star RCW 38 IRS 2 at the core of the Gum 23 (RCW 38 ).

This is an image taken with 16" Dream Corrected Astrograph (DCA). An image taken with 12" ASA astrograph can be seen here

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