This week's picture is that of M6, or the butterfly cluster. This cluster Spans about 20 light years from the farthest stars to the left going to the farthest star to the right. Also, we believed that the cluster was only 2000 light years or so away from us but current measurements have reduced that distance to 1500 light years. On top of the relatively small space separating us from the cluster, all of the stars in the cluster are estimated to be around 100 million years old. This being said, that means that almost all of the stars will have a blue color to them while some of the oldest of the stars will start to have an orange tint to them. Knowing all of this information, astronomers are able to get more accurate measurements of the scale of the universe.
Here is the picture: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110906.html
No comments:
Post a Comment