The `Papillon' nebula: a compact HII blob in the LMC resolved by HST

Abstract

We present high spatial resolution HST imaging of the LMC compact HII region N159-5. This high excitation blob is revealed to be a `papillon' or butterfly-shaped ionized nebula with the `wings' separated by ~2.3" (0.6 pc). Two subarcsecond features resembling a `smoke ring' and a `globule' are detected in the wings, the origin of which is briefly discussed. N159-5 may represent a new type of HII region in the Magellanic Clouds overlooked so far because of insufficient spatial resolution. Our images also show a strikingly turbulent medium around the Papillon in the giant HII region N159, which manifests itself by a large number of subarcsecond filaments, arcs, ridges, and fronts carved in the ionized gas by the stellar winds from massive stars in the N159 complex.