IC2944/48 Running Chicken Nebula

The emission nebula shown here is also known as the Running Chicken Nebula. Its catalog designation is IC2948 for the lower-left part of the nebula and IC2944 for the nebula surrounding the bright star Lambda Centauri. In both parts of the nebula, you can see small but very dense dark clouds. These are known as Bok globules, named after the astronomer Bart Bok. The globules in the Running Chicken Nebula also bear the name Thackeray’s Globules, after the astronomer Andrew David Thackeray.

In the image, there are several objects visible that do not have their own designations. For example, a reflection nebula around the star HD308935. Below the bright star Lambda Centauri (visible in the center at the top of this image), there is a so-called bright rim, at the tip of which a small reflection nebula can also be found. Another shock front, along with a reflection nebula, is located in the middle of the right part of the image.