VISTA finds star clusters galore

Using data from the VISTA infrared survey telescope at ESO’s Paranal Observatory, an international team of astronomers has discovered 96 new open clusters hidden by the dust in the Milky Way. Thirty of these clusters are shown in this mosaic. These tiny and faint objects were invisible to previous surveys, but they could not escape the sensitive infrared detectors of the world’s largest survey telescope, which can peer through the dust. This is the first time so many faint and small clusters have been found at once. The images are made using infrared light in the following bands: J (shown in blue), H (shown in green), and Ks (shown in red).

Credit:

ESO/J. Borissova

About the Image

Id:eso1128a
Type:Observation
Release date:3 August 2011, 12:00
Related releases:eso1128
Size:2406 x 2085 px

About the Object

Name:VVV Survey
Type:Milky Way : Star : Grouping : Cluster : Open
Category:Star Clusters

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