The Large Cloud of Magellan (HR)

An alluring sight in dark Southern skies, the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is seen here through a narrow filter that transmits only the red light of Hydrogen Atoms. Ionized by energetic starlight, a Hydrogen Atom emits the characteristic red H-alpha light as its single electron is recaptured and transitions to lower energy states. As a result, this image of the LMC seems covered with shell-shaped clouds of Hydrogen gas surrounding massive, young stars. Sculpted by the strong stellar winds and ultraviolet radiation, the glowing Hydrogen clouds are known as "H-II" (such as Ionized Hydrogen) Regions. This HR mosaic view was recorded in 6 segments, each with 200 minutes of exposure time. Itself composed of many overlapping shells, the Tarantula Nebula, is the large star forming Region near top center. A satellite of our Milky Way Galaxy, the LMC is about 15,000 light-years across and lies a mere 180.000 LY away in the constellation known as Dorado.