Henize 70, aka N70

Henize 70, also known as N70, is a rather peculiar nebula located in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). It has been described, finally, as a superbubble. The exact nature of this bubble-like nebula is not fully understood and has been discussed during many years. It was thought to be a supernova remnant (SNR) as well as also the result of two close (in time and space) supernova explosions of two stars of the open cluster where this nebula is embedded. The “superbubble” proposal is the current one being accepted. As early as 1981, Rosado et al. published an article in Astronomy and Astrophysics giving clear hints (not confirmations) that the shape of N70 was due to shock waves, that “should be attributed to an old supernova explosion”. In 1999, Skelton et al. tooke this nature for granted but, in 2014, Zhang et al. stated that it is not yet confirmed that N70 be a SNR. What we know, despite its real origin, is that N70’s morphology has been also shaped by the OB association LH114, a tight group of hot O and B stars located at the center of the bubble.