by harry » Fri Nov 18, 2005 8:45 am
The 37 Cluster
Credit & Copyright: Noel Carboni
Explanation: For the mostly harmless denizens of planet Earth, the brighter stars of open cluster NGC 2169 seem to form a cosmic 37. (Did you expect 42?.) Of course, the improbable numerical asterism appears solely by chance and lies at an estimated distance of 3,600 light-years toward the constellation Orion. As far as galactic or open star clusters go, NGC 2169 is a small one, spanning about 7 light-years. Formed at the same time from the same cloud of dust and gas, the stars of NGC 2169 are only about 8 million years old. Such clusters are expected to disperse over time as they encounter other stars, interstellar clouds, and experience gravitational tides while traveling through the galaxy. Over four billion years ago, our own Sun was likely formed in a similar open cluster of stars.
Response to the above: In my opinion most stable stars are ejected from a large active black hole normally located in the centre of a galaxy and in many cases cluster of stars are ejected giving them a time stamp on their origin.
The cluster being formed from a dust cloud in my opinion would not have sufficient gravitational forces to form a stable star and it is difficult to say that they formed at the same time given the cycle of the star is different from star to star. Not probable for this cluster to be formed from dust clouds.
The 37 Cluster
Credit & Copyright: Noel Carboni
Explanation: For the mostly harmless denizens of planet Earth, the brighter stars of open cluster NGC 2169 seem to form a cosmic 37. (Did you expect 42?.) Of course, the improbable numerical asterism appears solely by chance and lies at an estimated distance of 3,600 light-years toward the constellation Orion. As far as galactic or open star clusters go, NGC 2169 is a small one, spanning about 7 light-years. Formed at the same time from the same cloud of dust and gas, the stars of NGC 2169 are only about 8 million years old. Such clusters are expected to disperse over time as they encounter other stars, interstellar clouds, and experience gravitational tides while traveling through the galaxy. Over four billion years ago, our own Sun was likely formed in a similar open cluster of stars.
Response to the above: In my opinion most stable stars are ejected from a large active black hole normally located in the centre of a galaxy and in many cases cluster of stars are ejected giving them a time stamp on their origin.
The cluster being formed from a dust cloud in my opinion would not have sufficient gravitational forces to form a stable star and it is difficult to say that they formed at the same time given the cycle of the star is different from star to star. Not probable for this cluster to be formed from dust clouds.