NASA's Hubble Space Telescope Finds "Blue Straggler" Stars in the Core of a Globular Cluster
February 5, 2005
High resolution observations of the core of the globular cluster 47 Tucanae, made with the European Space Agency's Faint Object Camera (FOC) onboard NASA's Hubble Space Telescope (HST), provide new evidence that stars may collide and capture each other and gain a new "lease on life" in the process. The FOC observations reveal a surprisingly high concentration of a unique class of star called blue stragglers, which may evolve from "old age" back to a hotter and brighter "youth". These stars may also play a critical role in the dynamic evolution of the cluster's core.
Topics:
Technology Internet, Stars, Star clusters, Astronomy, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 47 Tucanae, Blue straggler, Omega Centauri, Globular clusters, Star, Hubble Space Telescope, European Space Agency
