Description of
object:
47 Tucanae, a globular
cluster in the southern constellation Toucan, is after Omega Centauri the
second brightest object of its kind in the sky. It is also possible to see it
with the naked eye. In contrast to Omega Centauri, 47 Tucanae has a much
brighter center, making it necessary to take some pictures with shorter
exposure times.
The diameter of
the cluster is approximately 120 light years and it contains, according to
calculations, roughly 700000 times the mass of the sun which is divided between
more than 1 million stars. With a distance of 16.700 light years, the cluster
covers about the same amount of area in the sky as the moon. |