#messier 80

[quiltofstars]

M80 // Kevin Kurtz

[mystarypi-astronomy]

This is Messier 80! ✨✨✨

You may notice in this image that a majority of the cluster is made up of yellow/red stars but there are a few blue stars here and there: these are blue stragglers and are much younger due to gravitational interactions with nearby clusters. In 1860, a massive supernova took place in this cluster and outshined the other stars! 💎💎💎

Taken by me (Michelle Park) using the Slooh Canary Two telescope on July 6th, 2021 at 00:57 UTC. 

[quiltofstars]

M80 (left) and the ρ Ophiuchi Cloud Complex // Dev (Dave) Prana

Interestingly, Messier failed to notice or write down the large star-forming region right next door to M80 on the sky: the ρ Ophiuchi Cloud Complex!

This is a huge star-forming region only 460 light years from Earth with reflection nebulae, emission nebulae, and dark dust clouds. Why Messier didn't feel like he needed to mention this is unknown to me!

[quiltofstars]

M80 // AnaTa

M80 is one of Messier's original discoveries and is about 32,600 light years distant. It contains at least 200,000 stars and a great number of blue stragglers. These are old stars that appear younger, bluer, and more massive than their other member stars. Astronomers are still debating how these blue stragglers are created.

[theuniverseatlarge]

Messier 80 - Globular Cluster in Scorpius

Discovered by comet-hunter Charles Messier in 1781, M80 is a peculiar globular located within the rich starfields of the Milky Way band. It is a reasonably dense cluster with a significant amount of blue straggler stars. These stars are not well understood, but may be the result of stellar interactions within the cluster or with other bodies as well.

Top: Wide-Field - AURA/NOAO/NSF

Bottom: Close-Up - AURA/NASA/HST