Celestial hemisphere:  Southern  ·  Constellation: Scorpius (Sco)  ·  Contains:  HD156134  ·  HD156154  ·  HD156201  ·  HD156369  ·  HD156867  ·  HD156935  ·  NGC 6334  ·  Sh2-8
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The Cat’s Paw Nebula (NGC 6334, GUM 64, The Bear’s Claw Nebula), Paul Lloyd
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The Cat’s Paw Nebula (NGC 6334, GUM 64, The Bear’s Claw Nebula)

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Description

The Cat’s Paw Nebula is an emission nebula that can be found about 2º West of the Scorpion’s “stinger”.
It is an active star-forming region that lies about 4,400 ly away. As with many emission nebulae, the
pressure of the light from the young, very hot stars embedded within sculpts the cloud of gas and dust
into fantastic shapes, which in this case resemble an animal’s paw. It is estimated to be 320 ly across.

The nebula was first recorded by John Herschel in 1865 whilst at the Cape of Good Hope. It lies in the
Carina-Sagittarius Arm of our Milky Galaxy, and it has been found to contain large stars of more than 10x
our Sun’s mass, and to be only a few million years old. It has been a region of interest to professional
astronomers for some time.


Telescope: Askar PHQ107 refractor, f=750mm
Camera:     ZWO ASI294MC Pro, 42 x 300sec, no filter
                    40 x 300sec, Optolong L-eNhance filter
                   Bortle 3-4 sky, moonless
Field of View: approx. 0º 59’ x 1º 24’
Image processed and prepared in PixInsight and Photoshop Elements

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The Cat’s Paw Nebula (NGC 6334, GUM 64, The Bear’s Claw Nebula), Paul Lloyd