For Hubble’s 35th anniversary, ESA has unveiled breathtaking new images of the star cluster Messier 72, a celestial gem located in Aquarius.
Once the very first image featured in the Hubble Picture of the Week series, M72 gets a vibrant update with enhanced data and ultraviolet imagery. This cluster’s multicolored stars — blues and reds alike — offer astronomers rich clues into stellar evolution and the formation of our galaxy. Its history dates back to 1780 when it was first discovered by Pierre Méchain, an astronomical pioneer and collaborator of Charles Messier.
Celebrating 35 Years of Hubble
As part of ESA/Hubble’s 35th anniversary celebrations, a special image series has been released throughout April, highlighting some of the telescope’s most iconic past targets. Updated views of NGC 346, the Sombrero Galaxy, and the Eagle Nebula have already been unveiled. Now, the spotlight turns to the star cluster Messier 72 (M72), revisited with new observations and enhanced image processing techniques.
M72 holds particular significance: it was the first image ever featured in ESA/Hubble’s Picture of the Week series, published on April 22, 2010. Since then, the series has released a new Hubble image every Monday, contributing nearly 800 awe-inspiring photos to the growing archive over the past 15 years.
A Starry Sphere in Aquarius
Messier 72 is a globular cluster — a dense, spherical grouping of stars — located in the constellation Aquarius, about 50,000 light-years from Earth. The cluster’s shape is maintained by the strong gravitational pull between its tightly packed stars. In total, astronomers have identified around 150 such globular clusters within our Milky Way galaxy.
Stellar Colors and Cosmic Clues
The striking variety in the colour of the stars in this image of M72, particularly compared to the original image, results from adding ultraviolet observations to the previous visible-light data. The colours indicate groups of different types of stars. Blue stars are those in the cluster that were originally more massive, and have now reached hotter temperatures after burning through much of their hydrogen fuel; the bright red objects are lower-mass stars that have now become red giants. Studying these different groups help astronomers to understand how globular clusters, and the galaxies they were born in, initially formed.
A Celestial Discovery from 1780
Pierre Méchain, a French astronomer and colleague of Charles Messier, discovered M72 in 1780. It was the first of five star clusters that Méchain would discover while assisting Messier. It was recorded as the 72nd entry in Messier’s famous collection of astronomical objects, and the object is also one of the most remote clusters in the catalogue.
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1 Comment
Note 2504241638_Source1. Analyzing【
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The cosmological matter distribution theory of temperature difference is sms.oms.vix.ain. High temperature in the center and cryogenic on the side. Uh-huh.
Blue stars are stars that originally had larger masses, and have [reached higher temperatures] after using up most of the hydrogen fuel?
So the lighter ones flock to the qoeoms.main and the heavier ones flock to the sides, where they harden to a higher density. That’s why neutron stars are increasing to the side suqer.str. Uh-huh.
msbase.galaxy has an nk.bank cluster with many intermediate black holes.
A total of 150 such M73 globular clusters have been found in our galaxy.
Of course, msbase.galaxy has tens of millions of different clusters in other galaxies in general. Huh. It’s an amazing sight that you can’t even see with James Webb. Hmm.
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Source 1.
https://scitechdaily.com/hubble-revisits-a-cosmic-classic-stunning-new-look-at-messier-72/
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Thanks to Hubble’s 35-year legacy, the historic cluster shines brilliantly again as M72 is captured with a clearer and more colorful focus.
The M72, which was the first image in the Hubble weekly photo series, offers a more vivid look with improved data and UV images.
The cluster’s colorful stars, which come in both blue and red, provide astronomers with a wealth of clues about the evolution of stars and the formation of our own Milky Way. The history of M72 began in 1780, when Pierre Messier, a pioneer of astronomy and a collaborator of Charles Messier, first discovered it.
1-1. Star-Spangled Banner in Water Bottle
Meslier 72 is a globular cluster located in Aquarius, about 50,000 light years from Earth. Its shape is maintained by the strong gravity between the densely packed stars. Astronomers have found around 150 of these globular clusters in our galaxy.
1-2. The color of stars and the clues of the universe
M72 The stars in the picture are particularly diverse compared to the original picture because of the addition of ultraviolet observations to previous visible light data. These colors represent groups of different types of stars. Blue stars are stars that originally had larger masses, and they [reached higher temperatures] after using up most of the hydrogen fuel.
Bright red stars used to be smaller stars and are now red giants. Studying these diverse groups helps astronomers understand globular clusters and how the galaxies in which they were born first formed.
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Pierre Meshain, a French astronomer and fellow of Charles Messier, discovered M72 in 1780. This cluster was the first of the five that Meshain discovered while helping Messier. It was recorded as the 72nd in Messier’s famous collection of celestial bodies, and it is also one of the farthest clusters on the Messier’s list.
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