47 Tucanae
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| Globular cluster | List of globular clusters |
|---|---|
47 Tucanae- Image mosaic by E. Kopan (IPAC). |
|
| Observation data (Epoch J2000) |
|
| Class | III |
| Constellation | Tucana |
| Right ascension | 00h 24m 05.67s[1] |
| Declination | -72° 04′ 52.6″[1] |
| Distance | 13.4 ± ? kly[citation needed] (4.1 ± ? kpc) |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | +4.91[1] |
| Apparent dimensions (V) | 30′.9 |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Mass | (? M☉) |
| Radius | 60 ± ? ly[2] |
| VHB | 14.2 |
| Estimated age | ? Gyr |
| Notable features | 2nd brightest globular cluster after Omega Centauri |
| Other designations | NGC 104, GCl 1[1] |
47 Tucanae ( NGC 104) or just 47 Tuc is a globular cluster located in the constellation Tucana. It is about 13,400 light years away from Earth, and can be seen with the naked eye, being bright enough to have been given a Flamsteed number with a visual magnitude of 4.0.
47 Tucanae was discovered by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in 1751, its southern location having hidden it from European observers until then. The cluster appears roughly the size of the full moon in the sky.
It is the second brightest globular cluster in the sky (after Omega Centauri), and is noted for having a very bright and dense core. It has 22 known millisecond pulsars, and at least 21 blue stragglers near the core.[3]
47 Tucanae is included in Sir Patrick Moore's Caldwell catalogue as C106.
[edit] See also
- Mass Migration: How Stars Move in Crowd -- research indicates that 47 Tucanea sorts stars by mass
[edit] References
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