M71 Globular Cluster, mikebrous

M71 Globular Cluster

M71 Globular Cluster, mikebrous

M71 Globular Cluster

Equipment

Loading...

Acquisition details

Loading...

Description

From Wikipedia:

"Messier 71 (also known as M71 or NGC 6838) is a globular cluster in the constellation Sagitta.

M71 is at a distance of about 12,000 light years away from Earth and spans some 27 light years across. The irregular variable star Z Sagittae is a member of this cluster.

M71 was long thought (until the 1970s) to be a densely packed open cluster and was classified as such by leading astronomers in the field of star cluster research due to its lacking a dense central compression, and its stars having more "metals" than is usual for an ancient globular cluster; furthermore, it's lacking the RR Lyrae "cluster" variable stars that are common in most globulars. However, modern photometric photometry has detected a short "horizontal branch" in the H-R diagram of M71, which is characteristic of a globular cluster. The shortness of the branch explains the lacking of the RR Lyrae variables and is due to the globular's relatively young age of 9-10 billion years. The relative youth of this globular also explains the abundance of "metals" in its stars. Hence today, M71 is designated as a very loosely concentrated globular cluster, much like M68 in Hydra. M71 has a luminosity of around 13,200 suns."

Comments

Histogram

M71 Globular Cluster, mikebrous