Starship Asterisk*

M6: The Butterfly Cluster

Explanation: To some, the outline of the open cluster of stars M6 resembles a butterfly. M6, also known as NGC 6405, spans about 20 light-years and lies about 2,000 light years distant. M6, pictured above, can best be seen in a dark sky with binoculars towards the constellation of the Scorpion (Scorpius), covering about as much of the sky as the full moon. Like other open clusters, M6 is composed predominantly of young blue stars, although the brightest star is nearly orange. M6 is estimated to be about 100 million years old. Determining the distance to clusters like M6 helps astronomers calibrate the distance scale of the universe.

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Great picture!

It's a pity that I don't have my software here, so I can't check out the star that is causing that large pink emission nebula in the right part of the picture.

Ann

APOD Robot wrote:coving

This should be covering.

Ann wrote:Great picture!

It's a pity that I don't have my software here, so I can't check out the star that is causing that large pink emission nebula in the right part of the picture.

Ann

http://youtu.be/TLGWQfK-6DY?t=2m57s
http://arxiv.org/abs/0808.3887

You can see the whole nebula (RCW 132 or Sh2-12) in this wider image by Jason Jennings: http://www.cosmicphotos.com/gallery/ima ... lbum_id=11
In fact, Marco's image includes a second open cluster, Trumpler 28 to the right of M6.

The star is Hipparcos 86011, a bright sixth magnitude double star, possibly spectral types O6V + O6V.

Ann

The Magellanic Bridge

http://ogle.astrouw.edu.pl/cont/4_main/str/mbr_pop/

Image Credit & Copyright: Dorota Skowron & OGLE team (Warsaw Univ. Obs.)

http://ogle.astrouw.edu.pl/

The space between the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) is not empty. A stellar bridge and a stream of gas connect the two dwarf galaxies. In the above map, colors of the small square regions code the number density of stars that are younger than about one billion years. The distribution is clumped, with one of the major densities close to the SMC, and the other, located approximately mid-way between the Magellanic Clouds. Color contours mark the strenght of the neutral hydrogen (HI) emission. Current observations of the Magellanic System indicate that it undergoes a tidal disruption due to a close encounter with our Milky Way galaxy.

pawelastronom wrote:The Magellanic Bridge

http://ogle.astrouw.edu.pl/cont/4_main/str/mbr_pop/

Image Credit & Copyright: Dorota Skowron & OGLE team (Warsaw Univ. Obs.)

http://ogle.astrouw.edu.pl/

The space between the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) is not empty. A stellar bridge and a stream of gas connect the two dwarf galaxies. In the above map, colors of the small square regions code the number density of stars that are younger than about one billion years. The distribution is clumped, with one of the major densities close to the SMC, and the other, located approximately mid-way between the Magellanic Clouds. Color contours mark the strenght of the neutral hydrogen (HI) emission. Current observations of the Magellanic System indicate that it undergoes a tidal disruption due to a close encounter with our Milky Way galaxy.

Click to view full size image

I have a feeling that this might have been posted in the wrong place. Also not only is there gas between the Magellanic Clouds, there is also a little known bridge of Ha emission. Also the Large Magellanic Cloud is one of my favourite galaxies.

Really nice and clean image. The contrast of the red versus the dusty brown....

SNIFF, SNIFF.....They grow up so FAST.....

:---[===] *

starsurfer wrote:

Ann wrote:Great picture!

It's a pity that I don't have my software here, so I can't check out the star that is causing that large pink emission nebula in the right part of the picture.

Ann

http://youtu.be/TLGWQfK-6DY?t=2m57s
http://arxiv.org/abs/0808.3887

You can see the whole nebula (RCW 132 or Sh2-12) in this wider image by Jason Jennings: http://www.cosmicphotos.com/gallery/ima ... lbum_id=11
In fact, Marco's image includes a second open cluster, Trumpler 28 to the right of M6.

Thanks for the links, starfurfer. I didn't have time to check them out before. NGC 6383 is a hugely interesting cluster!

Ann