The central part of Messier 12

Centre of the globular cluster Messier 12 as observed with the FORS-1 multi-mode instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope (Cerro Paranal, Chile). The picture covers a region of about 3.5 arcmin on a side, corresponding to about 23 light-years at the distance of Messier 12. It is based on data in five different filters : U, B, V, R and H-alpha. Here only the short exposures were used while for their scientific analysis, the authors used much longer exposures. Guido De Marchi (ESA) reduced the data and Kristina Boneva and Haennes Heyer (ESO) did the final image processing. The observations were obtained with very good conditions, the image quality ('seeing') being around 0.6 arcsec.

Credit:

ESO

About the Image

Id:eso0604a
Type:Observation
Release date:7 February 2006
Related releases:eso0604
Size:3060 x 3056 px

About the Object

Name:Messier 12
Type:Milky Way : Star : Grouping : Cluster : Open
Distance:23000 light years
Constellation:Ophiuchus
Category:Star Clusters

Image Formats

Large JPEG
2.2 MB
Screensize JPEG
347.2 KB

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Coordinates

Position (RA):16 47 14.25
Position (Dec):-1° 56' 48.17"
Field of view:3.39 x 3.39 arcminutes
Orientation:North is 0.0° left of vertical

Colours & filters

BandWavelengthTelescope
Optical
H-alpha
656 nmVery Large Telescope
FORS1
Optical
R
600 nmVery Large Telescope
FORS1
Optical
V
554 nmVery Large Telescope
FORS1
Optical
B
420 nmVery Large Telescope
FORS1
Ultraviolet
U
360 nmVery Large Telescope
FORS1