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47 Tucanae | NGC104 | Globular Cluster | LRGB

Having an exquisite symmetry, containing approximately a million Sun like stars, all tied together gravitationally, these objects are often referred to as “astronomical fossils”, because they retain chemical compositions that were found in the time of the origin of their neighbouring galaxy. This image reveals the clusters faint yellow hue, emanated by the predominant volume of older yellow stars, with a scattering of young blue stars that mostly inhabit the centre of the field. Globular clusters have a sorting process, with larger mass stars to the centre and relatively smaller stars sorted to the outer. Studies reveal that stars within the cluster have a circular, spiral orbit, moving in then out of the centre, distance out determined by their mass.

 

47 Tucanae is the second largest globular cluster in the nights sky, roughly that of a full moon in size, and is located directly adjacent to the Small Magellanic Cloud, not far from the south celestial pole.

 

 

Hi resolution link:

live.staticflickr.com/65535/49568536448_6b4f1a6220_o.jpg

 

Information about the image:

 

Center (RA, Dec):(6.027, -72.102)

Center (RA, hms):00h 24m 06.561s

Center (Dec, dms):-72° 06' 06.704"

Size:48.6 x 32.2 arcmin

Radius:0.486 deg

Pixel scale:0.732 arcsec/pixel

Orientation:Up is 187 degrees E of N

 

Instrument: Planewave CDK 12.5 | Focal Ratio: F8

Camera: STXL-11000 + AOX | Mount: AP900GTO

Camera Sensitivity: Lum: BIN 1x1, RGB: BIN 2x2

Exposure Details: Total: 15.9hours | Lum: 24 x 600 sec, 12 x 300 sec, 24 x 180 sec, 24 x 60 sec, 24 x 30 sec, 24 x 10 sec [6.9hr], RGB 450sec x 24 each [9.0hrs]

Viewing Location: Central Victoria, Australia.

Observatory: ScopeDome 3m

Date: June-September 2019

Software Enhancements: CCDStack2, CCDBand-Aid, PS, Pixinsight

Author: Steven Mohr

 

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Uploaded on February 22, 2020