NGC 3603

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Observation data (J2000 epoch)
NGC 3603
HST image of NGC 3603
Constellation	Carina
Right ascension	11^h 15^m 09.1^s^[1]
Declination	-61° 16′ 17″^[1]
Distance	20 kly^[2] (6.1 kpc)
Apparent magnitude (V)	9.1^[1]
Apparent dimensions (V)	3′^[2]
Notable features	Central region is the young cluster HD 97950^[1]
See also: Open cluster, List of open clusters

NGC 3603 is a giant H II region^[1] in the Carina spiral arm of the Milky Way around 20,000 light-years away from our solar system. It was discovered by John Frederick William Herschel in 1834. It is home to an open cluster (centre of the image) containing about 2000 bright stars, each of which is much brighter and more massive than our Sun, and the only giant H II region in our galaxy that is visible at optical wavelengths.

NGC 3603 is visible in the telescope as a small rather insignificant nebulosity with a yellowish tinge due to the effects of interstellar absorption. In the mid-1960s optical studies coincided with radio astronomical observations which showed it to be an extremely strong thermal radio source. Later observations in other galaxies introduced the concept of 'starburst' regions, in some cases whole galaxies, of extremely rapid star formation and NGC 3603 is now considered to be such a region. In 1987 a supernova (known as SN 1987A) occurred in the Large Magellanic Cloud. This was the first supernova to be close enough for detailed observation with satellite based telescopes. One result was the discovery that prior to the main explosion it had thrown off a relatively small amount of material in a very distinctive pattern, a bit like an hourglass perpendicular to a detached glowing ring. One star in NGC 3603 (Sher 25, the number comes from the 1960s optical observations) was found to have thrown off matter in a pattern similar to that found for the supernova 1987A. This coincidence has aroused intense interest.