New Hubble image of star cluster Messier 15
This cluster of stars is known as Messier 15, and is located some 35 000 light-years away in the constellation of Pegasus (The Winged Horse). It is one of the oldest globular clusters known, with an age of around 12 billion years.
Both very hot blue stars and cooler golden stars can be seen swarming together in the image, becoming more concentrated towards the cluster's bright centre. Messier 15 is one of the densest globular clusters known, with most of its mass concentrated at its core. As well as stars, Messier 15 was the first cluster known to host a planetary nebula, and it has been found to have a rare type of black hole at its centre.
This new image is made up of observations from Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3 and Advanced Camera for Surveys in the ultraviolet, infrared, and optical parts of the spectrum.
Coordinates Position (RA) : 21 29 58.09 Position (Dec): 12° 10' 1.62" Field of view: 2.48 x 2.66 arcminutes Orientation: North is 46.7° left of vertical
Colours & filters Band Wavelength Telescope Ultraviolet U 336 nm Hubble Space Telescope WFC3 Ultraviolet UV 275 nm Hubble Space Telescope WFC3 Optical B 438 nm Hubble Space Telescope WFC3 Optical V 606 nm Hubble Space Telescope ACS Infrared I 814 nm Hubble Space Telescope ACS.
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Messier 15Messier 15 ist ein 6,2 mag heller Kugelsternhaufen mit einer Winkelausdehnung von 18′ im Sternbild Pegasus, 4° westlich des Sterns Enif. Seine Entfernung beträgt etwa 33.600 Lichtjahre, sein Durchmesser rund 175 Lichtjahre. Die hellsten seiner mindestens 500.000 Mitglieder erreichen eine scheinbare Helligkeit von 12,6 mag. .. weiterlesen