Open Cluster NGC 6520 from CFHT
Explanation:
Did you ever have a day when it felt like
a
dark cloud
was following you around?
For the
open cluster of stars NGC 6520,
every day is like this.
On the left of the
above picture are many of
NGC 6520's bright blue stars.
They formed only millions of years ago - much more
recently than our ancient Sun which formed billions of years ago.
On the right is an
absorption nebula,
molecular cloud
Barnard 86, from which the stars
of NGC 6520 surely formed.
This nebula contains much opaque
dust that blocks
light from the many stars that
would have been visible in the background.
Surrounding
NGC 6520 is part of the tremendously dense starscape in the
bulge of our Milky Way Galaxy,
the extended halo of stars that surrounds the
center of our Galaxy.
NGC 6520 spans about 10
light years and lies about
5500 light years away toward the direction of
Sagittarius.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
