Melnick 42
Encyclopedia
Melnick 42 is a supermassive blue giant star in the Tarantula Nebula
in the Large Magellanic Cloud
, located in the constellation Dorado
. With its bolometric luminosity of ca. 2,000,000 it's one of the most luminous stars of the Tarantula Nebula, being outshined by the hypermassive star R136a1
.
Tarantula Nebula
The Tarantula Nebula is an H II region in the Large Magellanic Cloud . It was originally thought to be a star, but in 1751 Nicolas Louis de Lacaille recognized its nebular nature....
in the Large Magellanic Cloud
Large Magellanic Cloud
The Large Magellanic Cloud is a nearby irregular galaxy, and is a satellite of the Milky Way. At a distance of slightly less than 50 kiloparsecs , the LMC is the third closest galaxy to the Milky Way, with the Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal and Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy lying closer to the center...
, located in the constellation Dorado
Dorado
Dorado is a constellation in the southern sky. It was created in the late 16th century and is now one of the 88 modern constellations. Its name refers to the dolphinfish , which is known as dorado in Spanish, although it has also been depicted as a swordfish...
. With its bolometric luminosity of ca. 2,000,000 it's one of the most luminous stars of the Tarantula Nebula, being outshined by the hypermassive star R136a1
R136a1
R136a1 is a blue hypergiant star and the most massive star known. It is an estimated 265 solar masses. The star is also the most luminous at 8,700,000 times the luminosity of the Sun....
.