This image recorded by the Hubble Space Telescope includes the amazing Terzan 12, a thick assembly of stars bound together by gravity. This observation belongs to a concentrated effort to study the globular clusters near the heart of our galaxy, including this one in the Sagittarius constellation. Deep within the Milky Way, clusters like Terzan 12 are typically obscured by clouds of gas and dust. These clouds can obscure or alter the starlight that we see from these clusters. Credit: ESA/Hubble & & NASA, R. Cohen (Rutgers University)
The < period class ="glossaryLink" aria-describedby ="tt" data-cmtooltip ="<div class=glossaryItemTitle>Hubble Space Telescope</div><div class=glossaryItemBody>The Hubble Space Telescope (often referred to as Hubble or HST) is one of NASA's Great Observatories and was launched into low Earth orbit in 1990. It is one of the largest and most versatile space telescopes in use and features a 2.4-meter mirror and four main instruments that observe in the ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. It was named after astronomer Edwin Hubble.</div>" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" >HubbleSpaceTelescope has actually recorded a brilliant picture of the globular star clusterTerzan12, highlighting how area dust can impact starlight.
This vibrant picture of the globular star clusterTerzan12 is a magnificent example of how dust in area impacts starlight originating from background items.
A globular star cluster is a combination of stars, set up in a spheroidal shape.Stars in globular clusters are bound together by gravity, with a greater concentration of stars towards the center.The< period class ="glossaryLink" aria-describedby ="tt" data-cmtooltip ="<div class=glossaryItemTitle>Milky Way</div><div class=glossaryItemBody>The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains our Solar System and is part of the Local Group of galaxies. It is a barred spiral galaxy that contains an estimated 100-400 billion stars and has a diameter between 150,000 and 200,000 light-years. The name "Milky Way" comes from the appearance of the galaxy from Earth as a faint band of light that stretches across the night sky, resembling spilled milk.</div>" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" >MilkyWay has about150 ancient globular clusters at its borders.These clusters orbit around the stellar center, however far above and listed below the pancake-flat aircraft of our galaxy, like bees buzzing around a hive.
Dust’s Play on Starlight
The area of this globular cluster, deep in the Milky Way in the constellation Sagittarius, suggests that it is shrouded in gas and dust which soak up and modify the starlight originating from Terzan12 The cluster has to do with 15,000 light-years fromEarth This area leaves a great deal of space for stepping in interstellar dust particles in between us and the cluster to spread blue light, triggering just the redder wavelengths to come through toEarth The interstellar dust clouds are mottled so that various parts of the cluster appearance redder than other parts along our view.
The brightest red stars in the image are puffed up, aging giants, often times bigger than ourSun They lie in between Earth and the cluster. Only a couple of might in fact be members of the cluster. The really brightest hot, blue stars are likewise along the line of sight and not inside the cluster, which just includes aging stars.
This composite image reveals the area of the globular star cluster Terzan 12 as seen by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.
Top: A view of an area of our Milky Way in the instructions of the constellationSagittarius Dense clouds of dust are engraved throughout a whitish background of stars. The item at upper right is the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex.
Bottom left: Photo of a little part of the Milky Way which is just one-degree throughout– two times the angular size of the moon. The globular cluster remains in the image center.
Bottom Right: A brand-new Hubble Space Telescope picture of the thick cluster Terzan12 Intervening dust spreads starlight to develop numerous reddish shades. The brightest red stars in the image are puffed up, aging giants, often times bigger than ourSun They lie in between Earth and the cluster. Only a couple of might in fact be members of the cluster. The really brightest hot, blue stars are likewise along the line of sight and not inside the cluster, which just includes aging stars. The cluster has to do with 15,000 light-years from Earth.
Credit: NASA, ESA, St éphane Guisard, ESO, Digitized Sky Survey, ESA/Hubble, Roger Cohen (Rutgers University), Joseph DePasquale (STScI)
The Legacy of Terzan and Hubble’s Contribution
Terzan 12 is among 11 globular clusters found by the Turkish-Armenian astronomer Agop Terzan roughly a half-century earlier. With its sharp vision, Hubble has actually transformed the research study of globular clusters since its launch in1990 Hubble observations have actually clarified the relation in between age and structure in the Milky Way galaxy’s innermost globular clusters.
The Hubble Space Telescope is a job of worldwide cooperation in between < period class ="glossaryLink" aria-describedby ="tt" data-cmtooltip ="<div class=glossaryItemTitle>NASA</div><div class=glossaryItemBody>Established in 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an independent agency of the United States Federal Government that succeeded the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). It is responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. Its vision is "To discover and expand knowledge for the benefit of humanity." Its core values are "safety, integrity, teamwork, excellence, and inclusion." NASA conducts research, develops technology and launches missions to explore and study Earth, the solar system, and the universe beyond. It also works to advance the state of knowledge in a wide range of scientific fields, including Earth and space science, planetary science, astrophysics, and heliophysics, and it collaborates with private companies and international partners to achieve its goals.</div>" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" > NASA and ESA. NASA’s GoddardSpace Flight(********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** )inGreenbelt, Maryland, handles the telescope.TheSpaceTelescopeScience Institute( STScI) inBaltimore,Maryland, performs Hubble science operations. STScI is run for NASA by theAssociation ofUniversities forResearch inAstronomy, inWashington, D.C.
