Photo Agency - Astronomy - Space - Nature

> Globular cluster NGC 6752 in Pavo

Globular cluster NGC 6752 in Pavo

author: Anglo-Australian Observatory/David Malin Images/Novapix

reference: a-agb67-52001

Image Size 300 DPI: 40 * 51 cm

Globular clusters are among the oldest objects known. The stars within them seem to contain much less of the 'metals' that are found in other stars, and since the universe was almost completely metal-free (i.e. contained only hydrogen and helium) in the beginning, it seems that globular cluster stars were among the first stellar objects to form. However, it is certain these beautiful, compact cities of stars did not look like this in their youth, when they would have been much brighter, their light dominated by hot massive stars that have vanished. This particular globular cluster is in the deep southern sky in Pavo and is at a distance of about 14,000 light years. It is a little brighter than the much better known cluster M13 and is just visible to the unaided eye. The colours of the stars are subtle but this picture clearly shows the cool but bright red giant stars whose light dominates the cluster. The cluster is in a particularly obscuration-free part of the sky, so, despite its distance we see the colors almost unaffected by interstellar dust.  

Keywords for this photo:

1982 - AAO - ASTRONOMY - GLOBULAR CLUSTER - NGC 6752 - PAVO - POSTER - SIDING SPRING - SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE - STAR - STAR CLUSTER -