NGC 6334
NGC 6334
Emission nebula
Near-infrared image of the Cat’s Paw Nebula from the James Webb Space Telescope.
Observation data: J2000epoch
Right ascension17h 20m 50.9s[1]
Declination−36° 06′ 54″[1]
Distance4,370 ± 650[2] ly   (1,340±200[2] pc)
Apparent dimensions (V)35′ × 20′[3]
ConstellationScorpius
Physical characteristics
Radius~320 ly[4] ly
DesignationsCat's Paw Nebula, NGC 6334, Gum 64, RCW 127, ESO 392-EN 009,[5]Sharpless 8

NGC 6334 is a massive emission nebula and star-forming region located in the constellationScorpius. It is colloquially known as the Cat's Paw Nebula, and can be found 3° to the west-northwest of the bright star Lambda Scorpii. NGC 6334 was discovered by English astronomer John Herschel on June 7, 1837, who observed it from the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. It spans an angular area larger than the full Moon.[3] This structure is located in the Carina–Sagittarius Arm of the Milky Way,[6] at a distance of approximately 5.5 thousand light-years from the Sun.[7]

This nebula is a high mass filamentary cloud structure spanning ~320 ly. In the visible part of the spectrum, NGC 6334 emits mainly in red (from hydrogen atoms) and blue (from oxygen atoms).[4] The interior is heavily obscured by interstellar dust, with clumps ranging up to 3,000 M☉ in mass. Although there is pervasive star formation throughout,[8] several embedded star-forming regions have been identified from infrared and radio emissions.[6] Four of these sites have formed H II regions.[6]X-ray sources within the nebula show the presence of ten distinct stellar clusters, most of which are associated with already identified infrared sources and H II regions.[9]

NGC 6334 is connected by a filamentary structure to NGC 6357, and the two may form a single complex.[10]

2025 James Webb Telescope discoveries

In July of 2025, astrophysicists using the James Webb Space Telescope reported views of a stellar nursery within what they humorously call the "toe beans," the large, circular structures resembling the soft pads on the bottom of cats' paws. The team achieved a close-up of a red-orange oval toe bean within which veiled stars are beginning to shine, including one that produced a visible shockwave when it ejected gas and dust at high speeds.[11] The NASA press report begins:

It's the cat's meow! To celebrate its third year of revealing stunning scenes of the cosmos in infrared light, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has "clawed" back the thick, dusty layers of a section within the Cat's Paw Nebula (NGC 6334). Focusing Webb's NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) on a single "toe bean" within this active star-forming region revealed a subset of mini toe beans, which appear to contain young stars shaping the surrounding gas and dust.[12]

The NASA press release also reported on the dust-filled nebular section known as the "Opera House" and other toe beans where, despite intense radiation, dust filaments may be dense enough to form protostars.

  • The location of NGC 6334 (circled in red)
    The location of NGC 6334 (circled in red)
  • Infrared view of NGC 6334
    Infrared view of NGC 6334
  • Submillimetre views of the star formation region
    Submillimetre views of the star formation region
  • Star-forming cloud in the Cat's Paw Nebula.[13]
    Star-forming cloud in the Cat's Paw Nebula.[13]
  • Taken in 2007 using the Mosaic-2 imager on the Blanco 4-meter telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory.
    Taken in 2007 using the Mosaic-2 imager on the Blanco 4-meter telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory.

References

  1. ^ abKharchenko, N. V.; et al. (2013). "Global survey of star clusters in the Milky Way. II. The catalogue of basic parameters". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 558: 8. arXiv:1308.5822. Bibcode:2013A&A...558A..53K. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201322302. S2CID 118548517. A53.
  2. ^ abReid, M. J.; et al. (2014). "Trigonometric Parallaxes of High Mass Star Forming Regions: The Structure and Kinematics of the Milky Way". The Astrophysical Journal. 783 (2): 130. arXiv:1401.5377. Bibcode:2014ApJ...783..130R. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/783/2/130.
  3. ^ abBakich, Michael E. (2010). 1,001 Celestial Wonders to See Before You Die – The Best Sky Objects for Star Gazers. Springer New York. p. 217. ISBN 9781441917775.
  4. ^ ab"NGC 6334, Cat's Paw Nebula(true color)". earthandskyimaging.com. Earth and sky imaging. October 2019. Retrieved 2025-03-15.
  5. ^"NGC 6334". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 2007-04-10.
  6. ^ abcSadaghiani, M.; et al. (March 2020). "Physical properties of the star-forming clusters in NGC 6334. A study of the continuum dust emission with ALMA". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 635: 25. arXiv:1911.06579. Bibcode:2020A&A...635A...2S. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201935699. S2CID 208077028. A2.
  7. ^Russeil, D.; et al. (2012). "Statistical study of OB stars in NGC 6334 and NGC 6357". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 538: A142. Bibcode:2012A&A...538A.142R. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201117299.
  8. ^Matthews, Henry E.; et al. (November 2008). "The Distribution and Properties of Cold Dust in NGC 6334". The Astronomical Journal. 136 (5): 2083–2101. Bibcode:2008AJ....136.2083M. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/136/5/2083.
  9. ^Feigelson, Eric D.; et al. (July 2009). "Stellar Clusters in the NGC 6334 Star-Forming Complex". The Astronomical Journal. 138 (1): 227–239. arXiv:0905.0716. Bibcode:2009AJ....138..227F. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/138/1/227.
  10. ^Russeil, D.; et al. (November 2017). "NGC 6334 and NGC 6357. Insights from spectroscopy of their OB star populations". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 607. id. A86. Bibcode:2017A&A...607A..86R. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201629870.
  11. ^Kuthunur, Sharmila (July 10, 2025). "James Webb Space Telescope celebrates 3 years of science with dazzling 'toe beans' image of Cat's Paw Nebula". Space.com. Retrieved July 12, 2025.
  12. ^NASA Webb Mission Team (July 10, 2025). "NASA's Webb Scratches Beyond Surface of Cat's Paw for 3rd Anniversary". National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Retrieved July 12, 2025.
  13. ^"Protostar blazes and reshapes its stellar nursery". www.eso.org. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
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