The nebula around 30 Doradus (NGC 2070)
in the LMC
The brightest cluster of stars in this picture was believed until recently to contain a single, uniquely massive object with the mass equivalent to 1000 suns, and was named as a star, 30 Doradus. Sophisticated image analysis techniques have been used to show that 30 Doradus is a very compact group of stars, many of which are massive, but not unimaginably so. The radiation from this star cluster is sufficient to excite a huge cloud of hydrogen gas in its vicinity so that it glows with its distinctive red colour. This picture is essentially a one minute exposure. A longer exposure would show that the curving tendrils of nebulosity are the brightest parts of the huge Tarantula nebula, one of the largest star-forming regions known anywhere.
AAO image reference AAT 68.
© Anglo-Australian Observatory, Photograph by David Malin, text © David Malin.

Entry from NGC 2000.0 (R.W. Sinnott, Ed.) © Sky Publishing Corporation, 1988: 

NGC 2069  Nb 05 38.5  -69 05 r  Dor              F, L, E 
NGC 2070 C+N 05 38.6  -69 05 s  Dor  40.    8.2  !!! vB, vL, looped
For details of photographic exposure, search technical table by AAT reference number.

Related images
AAT 44 The Tarantula Nebula around 30 Doradus
UKS 14 The Large Magellanic Cloud
UKS 15 The 30 Doradus Nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud