Globular Cluster M80

Globular Cluster M80 (also known as Messier Object 80 or NGC 6093) is a globular cluster in the constellation Scorpius. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1781. Download high resolution version (758x795, 157 KB)Image for M80 & Globular cluster Source: http://hubblesite. ... Download high resolution version (758x795, 157 KB)Image for M80 & Globular cluster Source: http://hubblesite. ... In astronomy, an epoch is a moment in time for which celestial coordinates or orbital elements are specified. ... Right ascension (RA; symbol α: Greek letter alpha) is the astronomical term for one of the two coordinates of a point on the celestial sphere when using the equatorial coordinate system. ... In astronomy, declination (dec) is one of the two coordinates of the equatorial coordinate system, the other being either right ascension or hour angle. ... Light year, a measure of distant Lightyear (band), a ska-punk band from the UK Buzz Lightyear, a character in the animated film Toy Story. ... The apparent magnitude (m) of a star, planet or other heavenly body is a measure of its apparent brightness; that is, the amount of light received from the object. ... In astronomy, the solar mass is a unit of mass used to express the mass of stars and larger objects such as galaxies. ... A globular cluster is a spherical bundle of stars (star cluster) that orbits a galaxy as a satellite. ... Orion is a remarkable constellation, visible from most places on the globe (but not always the whole year long). ... Scorpius ( , and Latin for scorpion) is one of the constellations of the zodiac. ... Charles Messier Charles Messier (June 26, 1730 – (April 12, 1817) was a French astronomer who in 1774 published a catalogue of 45 deep sky objects such as nebulae and star clusters. ... 1781 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

M80 is located midway between α Scorpii (Antares) and β Scorpii in a field in the Milky Way that is rich in nebulae. It can be viewed with modest amateur telescopes as a mottled ball of light. The Triangulum Emission Nebula NGC 604 lies in a spiral arm of Galaxy M33, 2. ... 50 cm refracting telescope at Nice Observatory. ...

Spanning about 10' on the sky and given its estimated distance of 32,600 light years, M80's spatial diameter is about 95 light years and it contains several hundred thousand stars. It is among the more densely populated globular clusters in the Milky Way Galaxy. M80 contains a relatively large amount of blue stragglers, stars that appear to be much younger than the cluster itself. It is thought these stars have lost part of their outer layers due to close encounters with other cluster members or perhaps the result of collisions between stars in the dense cluster. Images from the Hubble Space Telescope have shown districts of very high blue straggler densities, suggesting that the center of the cluster is likely to have a very high capture and collision rate. A light year, abbreviated ly, is the distance light travels in one year: roughly 9. ... The Pleiades star cluster A star is a massive body of plasma in outer space that is currently producing or has produced energy through nuclear fusion. ... The Milky Way (a translation of the Latin Via Lactea, in turn derived from the Greek Galaxia Kuklos; or simply the Galaxy) is a barred spiral galaxy in the Local Group, and has special significance to humanity as the location of the solar system, which is located near the Orion... Blue stragglers are stars in open or globular clusters that are hotter and bluer than other cluster stars having the same luminosity. ... The Hubble Space Telescope is a telescope in orbit around the Earth. ...

On May 21, 1860 a nova was discovered in M80 that attained a magnitude of +7.0. This nova, carying the variable star designation T Scorpii reached an absolute magnitude of -8.5, briefly outshining the entire cluster. May 21 is the 141st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (142nd in leap years). ... 1860 is the leap year starting on Sunday. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The apparent magnitude (m) of a star, planet or other heavenly body is a measure of its apparent brightness; that is, the amount of light received from the object. ... Most stars are of nearly constant luminosity. ... In astronomy, absolute magnitude is the apparent magnitude, m, an object would have if it were at a standardized distance away. ...

External links

• Messier 80, SEDS Messier pages
• Astronomy Picture of the Day description