Based on a recessional velocity of 25190 km/sec, a straightforward calculation indicates that IC 2900 is about 1.15 billion light years away. However, for objects at that distance we need to take the expansion of the Universe during their light-travel time into account. Doing that shows that the galaxy was about 1.05 billion light years away at the time the light by which we see it was emitted, about 1.1 billion years ago (the difference between the two numbers being due to the expansion of the Universe during that interval). Given that and its apparent size of 0.3 by 0.25 arcmins, the galaxy is about 90 thousand light years across.

Apparent size 0.4 by 0.3 arcmin?

Apparent size 0.4 by 0.2 arcmin?

Apparent size 0.2 by 0.2 arcmin?

Apparent size 1.7 by 1.2 arcmin?

Apparent size 0.5 by 0.1 arcmin?

Apparent size 0.8 by 0.8 arcmin?

Apparent size 0.6 by 0.3 arcmin?

Apparent size 0.15 by 0.1 arcmin?

Apparent size about 0.5 by 0.35 arcmin. The bluish area on the northeastern edge is listed as a separate galaxy, PGC 4125925, but appears more likely to be a star-forming region, or perhaps a foreground star.

Apparent size 0.5 by 0.3 arcmin?

Apparent size 0.2 by 0.2 arcmin?

Apparent size 0.5 by 0.2 arcmin?

Apparent size 1.0 by 0.8 arcmin.

Apparent size 0.5 by 0.45 arcmin.

Apparent size 0.5 by 0.2 arcmin?

Apparent size 1.3 by 0.4 arcmin?

Apparent size 0.5 by 0.3 arcmin?

Apparent size 0.2 by 0.2 arcmin?

Apparent size 0.6 by 0.6 arcmin? The brightest member of a group of several galaxies.

(Sometimes suggested as being NGC 3743, but since that was separately observed by Bigourdan, that cannot be right.)

Apparent size 0.9 by 0.8 arcmin.

Apparent size 0.4 by 0.2 arcmin?

Apparent size 0.4 by 0.4 arcmin?

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, IC 2944 (Frost #789, 1860 RA 11 29 20, NPD 152 14.7) is "a 3.4 magnitude star in an extremely large nebula.". The position precesses to RA 11 35 47.1, Dec -63 01 09, essentially dead center on λ Centauri (its namesake), the description fits and there is nothing comparable nearby, so the identification is certain.
Discovery Notes: Per Gottlieb, Frost noted the nebula surrounding λ Centauri on a plate taken on May 5, 1904, but did not notice the open cluster contained within the nebula's boundaries; so although OCL 862 is part of IC 2944 (as shown in the boldface title of this entry), strictly speaking, only the nebula is the IC object. However, the NED listing for IC 2944 only refers to the star cluster, hence my inclusion of its OCL and ESO designations. Gottlieb also suggests reading Corwin's notes, but because of time constraints, anything there will be added as I finish more detailed discusssions of ALL the Caldwell Catalogue objects.
PGC Designation Note: As usual for IC objects, HyperLEDA assigned a PGC designation to this object, even though it isn't a galaxy; but also as usual under such circumstances a search of the database for that designation returns no result, hence its being in quotes.
AladinLite Warning: A search of that database for IC 2944 shows IC 2948, instead of IC 2944; only using the coordinates of IC 2944 results in the correct position.
Physical Information: About 40 by 20 arcmin apparent size, with magnitude 3.1 λ Centauri generally considered its center. Sometimes listed as the Running Chicken Nebula, but that name is also assigned to the much larger IC 2948, and there is no obvious reason for either nebula to be associated with a fowl of any sort, so which if either deserves the apparently useless appellation is unclear.
Image Notes Better versions of the 2nd & 3rd images to be posted later. Also, Thackeray's Globules, often stated as being in IC 2944, appear to actually be in IC 2948, so for now see that entry for images of them.

Apparent size 1.0 by 0.8 arcmin?

Apparent size 0.5 by 0.3 arcmin?

Apparent size 0.7 by 0.6 arcmin?

Some references list IC 2948 as the Running Chicken Nebula, but other sources assign that name to IC 2944, and there is no obvious reason for either nebula to be associated with a fowl of any sort, so which if either deserves the apparently useless appellation is unclear. Dark globules near the center of IC 2948 are examples of "Bok globules", but are called Thackeray's Globules, after their discoverer in this particular nebula. There appears to be some confusion about which part of this and its companion (IC 2944) is which. The HST image below is labeled as being in IC 2944 in every reference I've seen, but the region is actually near the center of IC 2948. This confusion will hopefully be resolved when I post the history of the IC listing in the next iteration of this page. Apparent size 45 by 40 arcmin?