Coma Star Cluster: Difference between revisions
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| names = Melotte 111,<ref name="simbad" /> Coma Ber Cluster,<ref name="simbad" /> OCl 558.0<ref name="simbad" /> |
| names = Melotte 111,<ref name="simbad" /> Coma Ber Cluster,<ref name="simbad" /> OCl 558.0<ref name="simbad" /> |
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''Not to be confused with the [[Coma cluster]] of galaxies.'' |
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The '''Coma Star Cluster''' in [[Coma Berenices]], designated '''Melotte 111''' after its entry in the catalogue of [[deep sky object]]s by [[Philibert Jacques Melotte|P. J. Melotte]], is a small but nearby ''[[open cluster|star cluster]]'' in our galaxy, containing about 40 stars (magnitude 5 to 10) with a common [[proper motion]]. It used to be known to represent [[Leo (constellation)|Leo]]'s tail, but [[Ptolemy III]], in around 240 BC, renamed it for the Egyptian queen Berenice's sacrifice of her hair in a legend. The open cluster has a distance of 288 light-years - roughly twice as distant as the [[Hyades]] - and covers an area of more than 5 degrees on the sky. The cluster is approximately 450 million years old. In the [[FOV]] of a good [[field glass]] most of its stars can be seen simultaneously. |
The '''Coma Star Cluster''' in [[Coma Berenices]], designated '''Melotte 111''' after its entry in the catalogue of [[deep sky object]]s by [[Philibert Jacques Melotte|P. J. Melotte]], is a small but nearby ''[[open cluster|star cluster]]'' in our galaxy, containing about 40 stars (magnitude 5 to 10) with a common [[proper motion]]. It used to be known to represent [[Leo (constellation)|Leo]]'s tail, but [[Ptolemy III]], in around 240 BC, renamed it for the Egyptian queen Berenice's sacrifice of her hair in a legend. The open cluster has a distance of 288 light-years - roughly twice as distant as the [[Hyades]] - and covers an area of more than 5 degrees on the sky. The cluster is approximately 450 million years old. In the [[FOV]] of a good [[field glass]] most of its stars can be seen simultaneously. |
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Revision as of 08:22, 30 July 2007
Melotte 111, taken from a rural location in | |
| Object type | Open cluster  |
|---|---|
| Other designations | Melotte 111,[1] Coma Ber Cluster,[1] OCl 558.0[1] |
| Constellation | Coma Berenices |
| 12h 22.5m [1] | |
| Declination | +25° 51′[1] |
| Distance | 288 ly[citation needed] / 88.3 pc |
In visual light (V) | |
| 1.8 | |
Size | 5°[citation needed] |
| Mass | - M☉ |
| Radius | - |
| Estimated age | - |
 Related media on Wikimedia Commons | |
Not to be confused with the Coma cluster of galaxies.
The Coma Star Cluster in Coma Berenices, designated Melotte 111 after its entry in the catalogue of deep sky objects by P. J. Melotte, is a small but nearby star cluster in our galaxy, containing about 40 stars (magnitude 5 to 10) with a common proper motion. It used to be known to represent Leo's tail, but Ptolemy III, in around 240 BC, renamed it for the Egyptian queen Berenice's sacrifice of her hair in a legend. The open cluster has a distance of 288 light-years - roughly twice as distant as the Hyades - and covers an area of more than 5 degrees on the sky. The cluster is approximately 450 million years old. In the FOV of a good field glass most of its stars can be seen simultaneously.
Shown are 2 images of Melotte 111, taken from a rural location in Derbyshire, United Kingdom in March 2003, exposed for about 30 seconds with a normal film camera. The brighter stars of the cluster make out a distinctive "V" shape as seen when Coma Berenices is rising. The slightly orange background is caused by light pollution coming from nearby cities. The below image is the same photo with labels added. The position of Gamma Coma Berenices is shown, as are the constellation outlines (orange), constellation boundaries (blue), and lines of equal right ascension and declination (green).
External links
- WEBDA open cluster database webpage on Coma Ber cluster - E. Pauzen (Univ. Vienna)
See also
References
 | This star cluster–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |