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Messier 80

Globular cluster in the constellation Scorpius

Globular cluster in the constellation Scorpius

Messier 80 (also known as M80 or NGC 6093) is a globular cluster located approximately 32600 ly from Earth in the constellation Scorpius. Discovered by Charles Messier in 1781, it is one of the densest globular clusters in the Milky Way, containing several hundred thousand stars within a spatial diameter of about 95 light-years.

The cluster is situated in the Galactic halo, more than twice as distant as the Galactic Center, and lies midway between the stars α Scorpii (Antares) and β Scorpii in a region rich with nebulæ. With an apparent angular diameter of 10 arcminutes, it can be observed from locations below the 67th parallel north using modest amateur telescopes, where it appears as a mottled ball of light under low light pollution conditions.

Messier 80 is notable for its high population of blue stragglers, stars that appear younger than the cluster itself. Hubble Space Telescope observations reveal these stars are concentrated in distinct regions, suggesting frequent stellar interactions or collisions in the cluster's dense core. On May 21, 1860, the cluster hosted the nova T Scorpii, which briefly outshone the entire cluster with an absolute magnitude of −8.5 and reached an apparent magnitude of +7.0, visible through telescopes and binoculars.

References

References

  1. "Messier 80".
  2. (2021). "Central kinematics of the Galactic globular cluster M80". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
  3. "Messier 80". Students for the Exploration and Development of Space.
  4. (August 1927). "A Classification of Globular Clusters". Harvard College Observatory Bulletin.
  5. (May 2010). "Accreted versus in situ Milky Way globular clusters". [[Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society]].
  6. (December 2010). "The ACS Survey of Galactic Globular Clusters. X. New Determinations of Centers for 65 Clusters". [[The Astronomical Journal]].
  7. (February 2010). "The ACS Survey of Galactic Globular Clusters. VIII. Effects of Environment on Globular Cluster Global Mass Functions". The Astronomical Journal.
  8. (November 2011). "Young Radio Pulsars in Galactic Globular Clusters". The Astrophysical Journal.
  9. "M 80".
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