NGC 2359
The two images below are of the Wolf-Rayet bubble NGC 2359. The first image
is of H-alpha emission taken with the CCD2000 at Mount Laguna Observatory
(courtesy of Miller and Chu). Overlaid
are contours from recent observations made with the NRAO 12m telescope of CO(1-0)
emission. The color contours show the CO emission at three velocities:
37 km/s (blue), 55 km/s (green), and 70 km/s (red). The contour levels start
at roughtly ~2-sigma confidence and then increase geometrically (i.e. 2, 4, 8, ....)
Each of the velocity components is distinct (i.e. the line shapes do not imply
that any of these components are co-spatial.
The second image to the right shows emission from molecular hydrogen detected with
NIRIM at Mount Laguna Observatory. Specifically, the map is of emission from the
H2 S1 (upsilon=1-0) transition at 2.122 micron. The contours
showing the CO emssion in the region are again overlaid for comaprison.
At present the CO map covers only the eastern (left) half of the nebula and HII region.
The morphology of the CO emission we have mapped thus far seems to indicate that
we have detected an interface between the WR bubble and the adjacent molcular clouds.
![[NGC 2359 - H-alpha]](ngc2359.ha.gif)
![[NGC 2359 H2 emission]](ngc2359.H2.gif)