PIX4569005: Open cluster CR 399 in Little Fox - The Coathanger (CR 399) in Vulpecula - The Hanger cluster or Brocchi cluster is not a true cluster of stars but an asterism in the constellation Little Fox. CR 399, Brocchi's Cluster, is also known as the “” Coathanger””. It is a distinctive asterism, but not a true star cluster. It is visible to the unaided eye off the head of Cygnus, the Swan in Vulpecula, and resolved into its namesake shape in a telescope or pair of binoculars / Bridgeman Images
PIX4569009: Open cluster Trumpler 5 in Unicorn - Open cluster Trumpler 5 in Monoceros - Trumpler 5 is a cluster of stars aged 125 million years. Image obtained by Siding Spring's 3.9m telescope As they age, open clusters of stars begin to lose their identity. This is partly because the brighter members tend to self - destruct as supernovae, and, though the group members share a common motion through space, they are only loosely bound. Thus stars drift away from the cluster in a process that accelerates with time. However, some clusters are big enough to retain their identity much longer than usual, and Trumpler 5 is one such. Its age is estimated to be 125 million years, and it must have been a spectacular sight in its youth. It seems to be at the edge of the Monoceros molecular cloud, where star formation is continuing new generations of young clusters / Bridgeman Images
PIX4569073: Open cluster Westerlund 1 in the Altar - Open cluster Westerlund 1 in Ara - The open cluster Westerlund 1 is located about 16,000 years - light in the southern constellation of the Altar. It contains hundreds of very young massive stars as well as the supergiant red star W26. Image obtained by the VST telescope in Chile. This exceptionally bright cluster lies about 16 000 light - years from Earth in the southern constellation of Ara (The Altar). It contains hundreds of very massive and brilliant stars, all of which are just a few million years old - - babies by stellar standards. But our view of this cluster is hampered by gas and dust that prevents most of the visible light from the cluster's stars from getting to Earth. Around one of the stars - - known as W26, a red supergiant and possibly the biggest star known - - astronomers have discovered clouds of glowing hydrogen gas, shown as green features in this new image. Such glowing clouds around massive stars are very rare, and are even rarer around a red supergiant - - this is the first ionised nebula discovered around such a star. W26 itself would be too cool to make the gas glow; the astronomers speculate that the source of the ionising radiation may be either hot blue stars elsewhere in the cluster, or possibly a fainter, but much hotter, companion star to W26. W26 will eventually explode as a supernova. The nebula that surrounds it is very similar to the nebula surrounding SN1987A, the remnants of a star that went supernova in 198 / Bridgeman Images
PIX4566795: The amateur observatory SIRENE - France - The amateur observatory SIRENE - France - The amateur observatory SIRENE in Luberon is located on the Albion plateau. A 635 mm telescope and various observation instruments are available to the public. The SIRENE amateur observatory in Luberon (Vaucluse - France) is located on the Albion plateau, an ancient military base. It is well preserved from light pollution and welcomes public with different astronomical instruments / Bridgeman Images
PIX4567789: Open cluster M34 in Persee - Open cluster M34 in Perseus - The cluster M34 (NGC 1039) contains a hundred stars; it is located about 1400 years - light from Earth. The open cluster M34 (NGC 1039) is located 1400 light - years away in the direction of the constellation Perseus; it contains about a hundred stars in a region some dozen light - years across, and is visible to the naked eye under good conditions. Date: 200 / Bridgeman Images
PIX4567849: Open cluster M38 in the Coach - Open cluster M38 in Auriga - The open cluster M38 (NGC 1912), on the right, is located about 4000 years - light from the Earth in the constellation of Coach. On the left, nebulae IC 417 and NGC 1931 (top). M38 (NGC 1912), at right, is an open cluster located about 4000 light years away from Earth in the constellation of Auriga. At left is the nebula IC 417 and top left is the nebula NGC 1931 / Bridgeman Images
PIX4568059: Star cluster M46 and planetary nebula NGC 2438 - Open cluster M46 and planetary nebula NGC 2438 - M46 (NGC 2437) is an age cluster located at 5400 years - light. It contains about 500 stars, 150 of which are brilliant. It is about 300 million years old. The planetary nebula NGC 2438 does not appear to belong to this cluster, and must be closer although its distance is unknown. M46 (NGC 2437) is at a distance of about 5,400 light - years away from Earth with an estimated age of about 300 million years. It contains about 500 stars of which 150 are bright. Planetary nebula NGC 2438 (top) doesn't seem to belong to the cluster / Bridgeman Images
PIX4568098: Open cluster M44 in cancer - Open star cluster M44 in Cancer - M44 is a cluster of stars located 577 years - light from Earth, in the constellation Cancer. M44, the Praesepe or Beehive, is an open cluster located about halfway between Gemini and Leo. It is an easy naked eye object more than twice the size across the full moon. Galileo first observed it in a telescope as a collection of about 40 stars, and today's modern large telescopes reveal about 350 stars. M44 is about 577 light years away, and is about 400 million years old, the same age as the Hyades cluster / Bridgeman Images