APOD: Hartley 2 Star Cluster Tour (2010 Dec 02)

[APOD Robot]

Hartley 2 Star Cluster Tour

Explanation: Early in November, small but active Comet Hartley 2 (103/P Hartley) became the fifth comet imaged close-up by a spacecraft from planet Earth. Continuing its own tour of the solar system with a 6 year orbital period, Hartley 2 is now appearing in the nautical constellation Puppis. Still a target for binoculars or small telescopes from dark sky locations, the comet is captured in this composite image from November 27, sharing the rich 2.5 degree wide field of view with some star clusters well known to earthbound skygazers. Below and right of the comet's alluring green coma lies bright M47, a young open star cluster some 80 milion years old, about 1,600 light-years away. Below and left open cluster M46 is older, around 300 million years of age, and 5,400 light-years distant. Hartley 2's short, faint tail even extends up and right toward another fainter star cluster in the scene, NGC 2423. On November 27, Comet Hartley 2 was about 2.25 light-minutes from Earth. Sweeping toward the bottom of this field, by November 28 the comet's path had carried it between M46 and M47.

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[Ray.Newns]

In M46 at approx 11o'clock position, is that a supernova, or something else ?

[owlice]

M46 has a planetary nebula superimposed on it, NGC 2438.

[Pipetx]

If stars are formed in "pillers of gas", would the young star cluster have gas or dust regions in it?

[neufer]

If stars are formed in "pillars of gas", would the young star cluster have gas or dust regions in it?

Hot luminous B-type stars would have blown away the gas & dust in which they formed over tens of millions of years.

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap071122.html

<<The Pleiades, or Seven Sisters (Messier object 45), is an open star cluster containing middle-aged hot B-type stars located in the constellation of Taurus. It is among the nearest star clusters to Earth and is the cluster most obvious to the naked eye in the night sky. The cluster is dominated by hot blue and extremely luminous stars that have formed within the last 100 million years. Dust that forms a faint reflection nebulosity around the brightest stars was thought at first to be left over from the formation of the cluster (hence the alternate name Maia Nebula after the star Maia), but is now known to be an unrelated dust cloud in the interstellar medium that the stars are currently passing through. Astronomers estimate that the cluster will survive for about another 250 million years, after which it will disperse due to gravitational interactions with its galactic neighborhood.>>

[Victor B]

What is the interesting small cluster of yellowish/red stars half way between and slightly below M 46 and M47?

Victor B

[emc]

This is a very cool space shot… the green eyed bean between the two clusters.

[pipetx]

If stars are formed in "pillars of gas", would the young star cluster have gas or dust regions in it?

Hot luminous B-type stars would have blown away the gas & dust in which they formed over tens of millions of years.

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap071122.html

<<The Pleiades, or Seven Sisters (Messier object 45), is an open star cluster containing middle-aged hot B-type stars located in the constellation of Taurus. It is among the nearest star clusters to Earth and is the cluster most obvious to the naked eye in the night sky. The cluster is dominated by hot blue and extremely luminous stars that have formed within the last 100 million years. Dust that forms a faint reflection nebulosity around the brightest stars was thought at first to be left over from the formation of the cluster (hence the alternate name Maia Nebula after the star Maia), but is now known to be an unrelated dust cloud in the interstellar medium that the stars are currently passing through. Astronomers estimate that the cluster will survive for about another 250 million years, after which it will disperse due to gravitational interactions with its galactic neighborhood.>>

Thank you for the answer ...and for correcting my spelling....(insert red-faced smiley here)

[Chappy]

What is the interesting small cluster of yellowish/red stars half way between and slightly below M 46 and M47?

Victor B

Yes, that is an interesting feature. I wonder if it is a small cluster of older, reddish stars or it just looks that way because of their imposition to each other.
Have to look it up to see if it's a named cluster, or if one of the more knowledgeable here might know of it.

Dave