📷 Image Credits: Dailymotion
The Hubble Space Telescope has recently unveiled stunning imagery of Terzan 12, an ancient globular cluster nestled deep within the Milky Way galaxy. Discovered by Turkish-Armenian astronomer Agop Terzan over half a century ago, Terzan 12 is a spheroidal aggregation of stars, with a higher concentration towards its center. These clusters are like beehives of stars bound together by gravity, containing aging stars that are nearly as old as the universe itself. Despite their age, globular clusters like Terzan 12 are in constant motion, orbiting above and below the flat stellar disk of the Milky Way.
Located in the constellation Sagittarius, Terzan 12 sits approximately 15,000 light-years away from Earth, shrouded in gas and dust that affects the starlight emanating from the cluster. The interstellar dust particles between us and Terzan 12 scatter blue light, allowing only the redder wavelengths to reach Earth. The brightest red stars in the cluster are bloated, aging giants, lying between Earth and the cluster, with only a few likely being actual members of Terzan 12. These stars, along with the brightest hot, blue stars, are not inside the cluster, which is populated by aging stars. The intricate dance of light and dust in space creates a visually striking display, captured in high-resolution by the Hubble Space Telescope.
Hubble’s observations of Terzan 12 have revolutionized our understanding of globular clusters, shedding light on the relationship between age and composition in the Milky Way’s innermost clusters. The telescope’s sharp vision has allowed astronomers to delve deeper into the secrets of these ancient stellar formations, providing a glimpse into the cosmic history of our galaxy. Terzan 12 stands as a testimony to the beauty and complexity of the universe, a testament to the intricate interplay of dust, gas, and light that shapes the celestial tapestry we gaze upon.
