The young cluster RMC 136a

A new near-infrared image of the R136 cluster, obtained at high resolution with the MAD adaptive optics instrument at ESO’s Very Large Telescope, provides unique details of its stellar content. At birth, the three brightest stars each weighed more than 150 times the mass of the Sun. The most massive star, known as R136a1 and located at the centre of the image, has been found to have a current mass of 265 times that of the Sun. It also has the highest luminosity, close to ten million times greater than the Sun.

Crédit:

ESO/P. Crowther/C.J. Evans

À propos de l'image

Identification:eso1030d
Type:Observation
Date de publication:21 juillet 2010 12:00
Communiqués de presse en rapport:eso1030
Taille:1288 x 1296 px

À propos de l'objet

Nom:RMC 136a
Type:Local Universe : Star : Grouping : Cluster
Distance:22000 années lumière
Constellation:Dorado
Catégorie:Star Clusters

Formats des images

Grand JPEG
112,0 Kio

Coordinates

Position (RA):5 38 42.18
Position (Dec):-69° 6' 0.41"
Field of view:0.08 x 0.08 arcminutes
Orientation:North is 0.4° left of vertical

Couleurs & filtres

DomaineTélescope
Infrarouge
Near-IR
Very Large Telescope
ESO Multi-conjugate Adaptive optics Demonstrator (MAD)