IC 2944 Running Chicken Nebula Lambda Cen Nebula Neck Tie

IC 2944, also known as the Running Chicken Nebula or the Lambda Cen Nebula, is an open cluster with an associated emission nebula found in the constellation Centaurus, near the star Lambda Centauri. It features Bok globules, which are frequently a site of active star formation. However, no evidence for star formation has been found in any of the globules in IC 2944. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. This photograph was produced by European Southern Observatory (ESO). Their website states: "All ESO still and motion pictures are released under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported, unless the credit byline indicates otherwise."