Credit: ShaRA Team
Astronomical and Imaging Data
| RA: | 00h 24m 05.67s |
| DEC: | -72° 04′ 52.6″ |
| MAG: | 4.09 |
| Diameter: | 30′ |
| Const: | Tuc |
| OTA | Nikon 100 |
| Focal Length | 200 |
| Camera | FLI 16200 |
| Site | Atacama, Chile |
| Sky Quality | Bortle 1 |
Useful Informations
47 Tucanae, also known as NGC 104, is a globular cluster located in the constellation Tucana, a short distance in perspective from the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), and 13,400 light-years away from us. It is one of the most brilliant and massive globular clusters in our galaxy, and one of the most studied by astronomers.
Physical Characteristics and Composition
47 Tucanae is an enormous cluster with a diameter of about 120 light-years. Its brightness is so intense that its denser central region is visible to the naked eye. It’s estimated to be around 13 billion years old, making it one of the oldest objects in our galaxy. It contains millions of stars, many of which are significantly older than our Sun.Within the cluster, various types of stars can be found, including variable stars, pulsars, and X-ray binaries. The central core is particularly dense and luminous, with thousands of stars concentrated in a relatively small volume. There is also a suspected presence of an intermediate-mass black hole at the center of the cluster, although this hypothesis is still under investigation.
Discovery and Naming
47 Tucanae was discovered in 1751 by Nicholas Louis de Lacaille. It was originally cataloged as a star, which can be inferred from the fact that its name follows the Flamsteed nomenclature.