Vela Molecular Ridge
Molecular cloud complex in the constellations Vela and Puppis / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Vela Molecular Ridge?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
Vela Molecular Ridge is a molecular cloud complex in the constellations Vela and Puppis. Radio 12CO observations of the region showed the ridge to be composed of several clouds, each with masses 100,000–1,000,000 M☉.[3] This cloud complex lies on the sky in the direction of the Gum Nebula (foreground) and the Carina–Sagittarius Spiral Arm (background).[3] The most important clouds in the region are identified by the letters A, B, C and D, and in fact belong to two different complexes: the clouds A, C and D are located at an average distance of about 700-1000 parsecs (2300-3300 light years) and are related to the OB association Vela R2, while cloud B is located at a greater distance, up to 2000 parsecs (6500 light years) away, and is physically connected to the extended Vela OB1 association.[4]
Object type | Giant molecular cloud |
---|---|
Other designations | VMR |
Observation data (Epoch J2000) | |
Constellation | Vela |
08h 53m [1][2] | |
Declination | −45° 00′[1][2] |
Distance | 2300-6500[2] / 700-2000[2] |
In visual light (V) | |
Size | 8° |
Part of the gas in the clouds is ionized by the ultraviolet radiation of some of the most massive stars associated with the complex, constituting H II regions of great extent, as Gum 14 (RCW 27) and Gum 20 (RCW 36). Stellar formation activity is confirmed by the discovery of several associations of T Tauri stars, particularly in the VMR D cloud,[5] as well as by the presence of several open clusters heavily obscured and deeply immersed in the gas observable at infrared wavelengths.[6]
The brightest and warmest stars of the Vela R2 association illuminate some filaments of gas that shine with a bluish light, typical of reflection nebulae. Among these is the well-known NGC 2626 nebulae which belongs to the VMR D cloud and hosts some stars presenting Hα emission and the famous Herbig-Haro object HH 132.[7]