Science / Space
Hubble image combines observations to trace an ancient star cluster
Messier 30 offers clues to the Milky Way’s past, but its origin remains uncertain.
Status: source-checked.
NASA released a Hubble Space Telescope image of the star cluster Messier 30 on Thursday, combining observations that help astronomers study the Milky Way’s history. The cluster lies about 27,500 light-years away in the constellation Capricornus, the agency said.
According to NASA, the image draws on three observing programs and combines ultraviolet, visible and near-infrared light. One program compared stellar movements over 15 years, while another helped researchers study different populations of stars within the cluster.
Messier 30 orbits in the opposite direction from the Milky Way’s rotation. NASA said that could mean the galaxy captured the cluster in the distant past; it is not proof of that origin.
What we know / what we don't
What we know
- NASA released a Hubble Space Telescope image of the star cluster Messier 30 on Thursday, combining observations that help astronomers study the Milky Way’s history. The cluster lies about 27,500 light-years away in the constellation Capricornus, the agency said.
- According to NASA, the image draws on three observing programs and combines ultraviolet, visible and near-infrared light. One program compared stellar movements over 15 years, while another helped researchers study different populations of stars within the cluster.
- Messier 30 orbits in the opposite direction from the Milky Way’s rotation. NASA said that could mean the galaxy captured the cluster in the distant past; it is not proof of that origin.
What we don't know
- Whether Messier 30 formed outside the Milky Way.
The source record