NGC 6357 is a
diffuse nebula near
NGC 6334 in the
constellationScorpius. The nebula contains many proto-stars shielded by dark discs of gas, and young stars wrapped in expanding "cocoons" or expanding gases surrounding these small stars. It is also known as the Lobster Nebula.[4][5] This nebula was given the name War and Peace Nebula by the
Midcourse Space Experiment scientists because of its appearance, which, in infrared images the bright, western part resembles a dove, while the eastern part looks like a skull.[6] A petition by anime fans to rename it as the
Madokami nebula, due to resemblance with a character, was unsuccessful.[7][8]
It is located about ~5,500 light years away from Earth.[9]
Associated open clusters
Pismis 24
This nebula includes the
open clusterPismis 24, which is home to several
massive stars. One of the brightest stars in the cluster,
Pismis 24-1, was thought possibly to be the most massive on record, approaching 300
solar masses, until it was discovered to be a
multiple system of at least three stars; component stars would still remain near 100 solar masses each, making them among the more massive stars on record.[10][11]
G353.2+0.7
The young stellar cluster G353.2+0.7 lies east of Pismis 24 and was revealed by a
Chandra X-ray image showing approximately 800 stars.[12]
G353.1+0.6
The young stellar cluster G353.1+0.6 lies southeast of Pismis 24 and also contains approximately 800 stars detected by X-ray.[12] The region includes several
O-type stars, including [BDSB2003] 10.[13]
Massive stars
NGC 6357 is one of the most prominent sites of massive-star formation in our neighborhood of the
Milky Way. A variety of early
O-type stars reside in this nebula, blowing the bubbles around the star clusters that can be seen in the molecular cloud.
^R. W. Sinnott, ed. (1988). The Complete New General Catalogue and Index Catalogue of Nebulae and Star Clusters by J. L. E. Dreyer. Sky Publishing Corporation and Cambridge University Press.
ISBN978-0-933346-51-2.
^Damke, G.; et al. (2006). "The open cluster G353.1+0.7 in NGC6357". Revista Mexicana de Astronomía y Astrofísica. 26: 180.
Bibcode:
2006RMxAC..26..180D.