Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Sagitta (Sge)  ·  Contains:  9 Sge  ·  M 71  ·  NGC 6838
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M71 Globular Cluster, autonm
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M71 Globular Cluster

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M71 Globular Cluster, autonm
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M71 Globular Cluster

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Description

Newcastle, UK

Messier 71  Globular Cluster - in constellation Sagitta

This *star cluster is about 12,000 light years away from Earth and spans 27 light-years. The irregular variable star Z Sagittae is a member.

M71 was for many decades 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 to its stars having more "metals" than is usual for an ancient globular cluster; furthermore, it lacks 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 (chart of temperature versus luminosity) which is characteristic of a globular cluster.

The shortness of the branch explains the lack of RR Lyrae variables and is due to the globular's relatively young age of 9–10 billion years.

Taking in many or only late series (Population I) stars explains relatively its stars. Hence today M71 is designated as a very loosely concentrated globular cluster, much like M68 in Hydra. M71 has a mass of about 53,000 and a luminosity of around 19,000.



*A globular cluster is a spherical collection of stars. Globular clusters are very tightly bound by gravity, giving them their spherical shapes and high concentrations of stars toward their centers. Their name is derived from Latin globulus—a small sphere. Globular clusters are occasionally known simply as globulars.

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M71 Globular Cluster, autonm