August 25, 2018

NGC 4755 (Summer 2018)


NGC 4755, sometimes called the Jewel Box Cluster, lies about 6,400 light years away and is visible in our constellation Crux.  Well, it is visible if you can see Crux, which I cannot much from Houston, as Crux sits nearly at the horizon when at its northernmost.

The golden star near the middle is DU Crucis, an M2 supergiant. Many of the other stars, including the three, brightest blue stars, are type B supergiants.

North is up. The cluster is supposed to be quite young, less than 20 million years old, and perhaps much less than that.

This image is RGB 4,4,4x300" with the 12.5" RCOS from MPAstro in New South Wales.  Someday I'd like to see this beautiful cluster with my own eyes.

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