The stars of the Large Magellanic Cloud
This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image shows the globular cluster NGC 1854, a gathering of white and blue stars in the southern constellation of Dorado (The Dolphinfish). NGC 1854 is located about 135 000 light-years away, in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), one of our closest cosmic neighbours and a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way.
The LMC is a hotbed of vigorous star formation. Rich in interstellar gas and dust, the galaxy is home to approximately 60 globular clusters and 700 open clusters. These clusters are frequently the subject of astronomical research, as the Large Magellanic Cloud and its little sister, the Small Magellanic Cloud, are the only systems known to contain clusters at all stages of evolution. Hubble is often used to study these clusters as its extremely high-resolution cameras can resolve individual stars, even at the clusters’ crowded cores, revealing their mass, size and degree of evolution.
Credit:ESA/Hubble & NASA
About the Image
Id: | potw1625a |
Type: | Observation |
Release date: | 20 June 2016, 06:00 |
Size: | 2923 x 1823 px |
About the Object
Name: | NGC 1854 |
Type: | Local Universe : Star : Grouping : Cluster : Globular |
Distance: | 140000 light years |
Constellation: | Dorado |
Category: | Star Clusters |
Coordinates
Position (RA): | 5 9 20.22 |
Position (Dec): | -68° 50' 55.92" |
Field of view: | 2.44 x 1.52 arcminutes |
Orientation: | North is 64.0° left of vertical |
Colours & filters
Band | Wavelength | Telescope |
---|---|---|
Optical | 555 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS |
Optical | 555 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS |
Optical | 814 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS |
Optical | 814 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS |