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July 4, 2025

Hubble observations give 'missing' globular cluster time to shine

Credit: NASA
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Credit: NASA

A previously unexplored globular cluster glitters with multicolored stars in this NASA Hubble Space Telescope image. Globular clusters like this one, called ESO 591-12 or Palomar 8, are spherical collections of tens of thousands to millions of stars tightly bound together by gravity.

Globular clusters generally form early in the galaxies' histories in regions rich in gas and dust. Since the form from the same cloud of gas as it collapses, they typically hover around the same age.

Strewn across this image of ESO 591-12 are a number of red and blue stars. The indicate their temperatures; red stars are cooler, while the blue stars are hotter.

Hubble captured the data used to create this image of ESO 591-12 as part of a study intended to resolve individual stars of the entire globular cluster system of the Milky Way. Hubble revolutionized the study of globular clusters since Earthbound telescopes are unable to distinguish individual stars in the compact clusters.

The study is part of the Hubble Missing Globular Clusters Survey, which targets 34 confirmed Milky Way globular clusters that Hubble has yet to observe.

The program aims to provide complete observations of ages and distances for all of the Milky Way's globular clusters and investigate fundamental properties of still-unexplored clusters in the galactic bulge or halo. The observations will provide key information on the early stages of our galaxy, when formed.

Provided by NASA

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Hubble observations of the globular cluster ESO 591-12 (Palomar 8) reveal a dense collection of stars with varying temperatures, as indicated by their colors. These data contribute to a survey aiming to resolve individual stars in all Milky Way globular clusters, enhancing understanding of their ages, distances, and the early formation history of the galaxy.

This summary was automatically generated using LLM.