Gum 41

Gum 41

Nebula
Image of Gum 41 from ESO by the VLT Survey Telescope
Observation data
Distance	7,300 ly
Constellation	Centaurus
See also: Lists of nebulae

Gum 41 is a nebula located around 7,300 light years from Earth in the constellation of Centaurus. It is part of a larger region known as the Running Chicken nebula. In the center of the nebula is a potential system of two young massive stars named HD 100099 (O9III). These stars ionize the hydrogen surrounding it making Gum 41 an example of a Strömgren sphere, a shell of ionized hydrogen around a central star.^[1]

Discovery

Gum 41 was discovered in 1955 by Colin Gum, an Australian astronomer. It was discovered through images taken at the Mount Stromlo Observatory near Canberra.^[2]

References

1. "Take a tour of the stunning Gum 41 nebula". eso.org. Retrieved 2025-09-03.
2. Lazaro, Enrico de (2024-04-08). "VST Captures Beautiful Emission Nebula: Gum 41 | Sci.News". Sci.News: Breaking Science News. Retrieved 2025-09-03.