歐米茄半人馬座上的數百萬顆恆星
Millions of Stars in Omega Centauri

來源:Massimo Di Fusco|發表日期:2024-03-28
半人馬座歐米茄球狀星團又名 NGC 5139 ,距離地球 15000 光年。在直徑約 150 光年的範圍內,這個星團聚集了大約 1000 萬顆比太陽年齡大得多的恆星。它是遊蕩在銀河系光環中的 200 多個已知球狀星團中最大、最明亮的一個。雖然大多數星團都是由具有相同年齡和成分的恆星組成的,但神秘的歐米茄仙座卻顯示出不同年齡和化學丰度的恆星群的存在。事實上,歐米茄仙座可能是一個小型星系與銀河系合併後的殘餘核心。在這個清晰的彩色望遠鏡檢視中,半人馬座歐米茄的紅巨星呈淡黃色,很容易就能辨認出來。
原文:Globular star cluster Omega Centauri, also known as NGC 5139, is 15,000 light-years away. The cluster is packed with about 10 million stars much older than the Sun within a volume about 150 light-years in diameter. It's the largest and brightest of 200 or so known globular clusters that roam the halo of our Milky Way galaxy. Though most star clusters consist of stars with the same age and composition, the enigmatic Omega Cen exhibits the presence of different stellar populations with a spread of ages and chemical abundances. In fact, Omega Cen may be the remnant core of a small galaxy merging with the Milky Way. With a yellowish hue, Omega Centauri's red giant stars are easy to pick out in this sharp, color telescopic view.
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