Space
Astronomers Capture New Spectacular Image of Colorful Star Cluster in Carina's Wake
Catherine Griffin
First Posted: May 21, 2014 11:59 AM EDT
Astronomers have captured a stunning image of a star cluster with the Wide Field Imager (WFI) on the telescope at La Silla. The new picture reveals the cluster and the glowing gas clouds surrounding it against the starry backdrop of space.
Star clusters can contain anything between a few tens to a few thousands of stars. They're particularly useful since they can provide researchers with clues about stellar evolution.
This particular star cluster is named NGC 3590. It's located about 7,500 light-years from Earth in the constellation of Carina (The Keel). Aged at around 35 million years old, it's made up of dozens of stars loosely bound together by gravity.
In order to capture this image, the researchers made multiple observations using different filters. This allowed them to capture the different colors of the scene. The scientists combined images taken in both the visible and infrared parts of the spectrum in order to get a clearer view of the star cluster.
While the image of the star cluster itself is stunning, it's also useful to scientists. By studying this particular star cluster, researchers are learning a bit more about the properties of the spiral disc in our own galaxy, the Milky Way.
This star cluster is located in the largest single segment of a spiral arm that can be from our position in the galaxy, the Carina spiral feature. The spiral arms of Carina are actually waves of piled up gas and stars sweeping through the galactic disc. These gases can trigger bursts of star formation and leave clusters like NGC 3590 in their wake. By examining the young stars like those in NGC 3590, the scientists can determine the distances to the different parts of the spiral arm and better determine its structure. This data, in turn, can be used to better understand the spiral of our own Milky Way.
Want to see more? Check out the video below, courtesy of ESO.
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First Posted: May 21, 2014 11:59 AM EDT
Astronomers have captured a stunning image of a star cluster with the Wide Field Imager (WFI) on the telescope at La Silla. The new picture reveals the cluster and the glowing gas clouds surrounding it against the starry backdrop of space.
Star clusters can contain anything between a few tens to a few thousands of stars. They're particularly useful since they can provide researchers with clues about stellar evolution.
This particular star cluster is named NGC 3590. It's located about 7,500 light-years from Earth in the constellation of Carina (The Keel). Aged at around 35 million years old, it's made up of dozens of stars loosely bound together by gravity.
In order to capture this image, the researchers made multiple observations using different filters. This allowed them to capture the different colors of the scene. The scientists combined images taken in both the visible and infrared parts of the spectrum in order to get a clearer view of the star cluster.
While the image of the star cluster itself is stunning, it's also useful to scientists. By studying this particular star cluster, researchers are learning a bit more about the properties of the spiral disc in our own galaxy, the Milky Way.
This star cluster is located in the largest single segment of a spiral arm that can be from our position in the galaxy, the Carina spiral feature. The spiral arms of Carina are actually waves of piled up gas and stars sweeping through the galactic disc. These gases can trigger bursts of star formation and leave clusters like NGC 3590 in their wake. By examining the young stars like those in NGC 3590, the scientists can determine the distances to the different parts of the spiral arm and better determine its structure. This data, in turn, can be used to better understand the spiral of our own Milky Way.
Want to see more? Check out the video below, courtesy of ESO.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone