The Arches cluster

This image of the Arches Cluster of young, massive stars was obtained with NACO on ESO’s Very Large Telescope. The field of view is 28 arcseconds. North is up and east is to the left. This image is a composite of infrared images obtained through J, H and K filters. The stars appear as bright cores surrounded by faint diffuse halos. This is typical of images obtained by adaptive optics instruments. The halo corresponds to light that was not fully corrected for the blurring effects of the Earth’s atmosphere.

Credit:

ESO/P. Espinoza

About the Image

Id:eso0921a
Type:Observation
Release date:4 June 2009
Related releases:eso0921
Size:1122 x 1021 px

About the Object

Name:Arches Cluster
Type:Milky Way : Star : Grouping : Cluster
Distance:25000 light years
Constellation:Sagittarius
Category:Star Clusters

Image Formats

Large JPEG
228.2 KB
Screensize JPEG
131.1 KB

Wallpapers

1024x768
169.5 KB
1280x1024
249.0 KB
1600x1200
353.0 KB
1920x1200
419.9 KB
2048x1536
546.6 KB

Coordinates

Position (RA):17 45 50.52
Position (Dec):-28° 49' 20.46"
Field of view:0.51 x 0.46 arcminutes
Orientation:North is 0.0° left of vertical

Colours & filters

BandTelescope
Infrared
J
Very Large Telescope
NACO
Infrared
H
Very Large Telescope
NACO
Infrared
K
Very Large Telescope
NACO