Hubble Finds Multiple Stellar 'Baby Booms' in a Globular Cluster

*Description*: A simplified version of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram of the original Hubble data, this graph schematically plots the brightness of the stars in globular cluster NGC 2808 (along the vertical axis) against stellar color and temperature (along the horizontal axis). The cooler a star is, the redder it appears, and it diminishes in brightness. The bluer stars are to the left; redder stars are to the right. The brightest stars are near the top. The three curves represent the three different populations of stars that are present in NGC 2808. Technical facts about this news release: About the Object Object Name: NGC 2808 Object Description: Globular Cluster Position (J2000): R.A. 09h 12m 2s.57 Dec. -64° 51' 46".2 Constellation: Carina Distance: Approximately 30,000 light-years (9,000 parsecs) Dimensions: This image is roughly 3.2 arcminutes (24 light-years or 8 parsecs) wide. About the Data Note: Data for the release image of the center of the cluster were taken from the HST proposal 10775: A. Sarajedini (University of Florida), N. Reid (Space Telescope Science Institute), S. Majewski (University of Virginia), B. Chaboyer (Dartmouth College), A. Aparicio (Astrophysical Institute of the Canaries), G. Piotto (University of Padua [Padova]), I. King (University of Washington, Seattle), J. Anderson (Rice University), R. Rosenberg (Astrophysical Institute of the Canaries), M. Siegel (Space Telescope Science Institute), and L. Bedin (ESA, European Organization for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere, and STScI). Data Description for Science: The ACS data were from the HST proposal 9899: G. Piotto (University of Padua [Padova]), I. King (University of Washington, Seattle), J. Anderson (Rice University), L. Bedin (ESA, European Organization for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere, and STScI), A. Renzini (Astronomical Observatory of Padua [Padova]), M. Zoccali (European Southern Observatory - Germany), Y. Momany (University of Padua [Padova]), A. Recio-Blanco (INAF/Astronomical Observatory of Rome), and F. De Angeli (University of Cambridge); and proposal 10922: G. Piotto (University of Padua [Padova]), L. Bedin (ESA, European Organization for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere, and STScI), J. Anderson (Rice University), I. King (University of Washington, Seattle), S. Cassisi (INAF/Astronomical Observatory of Collurania, Teramo, Italy), and S. Villanova, Y. Momany, and A. Milone (University of Padua [Padova]). The science team includes G. Piotto (University of Padua [Padova]), L. Bedin (ESA, European Organization for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere, and STScI), J. Anderson (Rice University), I. King (University of Washington, Seattle), S. Cassisi and A. Pietrinferni (INAF/Astronomical Observatory of Collurania, Teramo, Italy), S. Villanova and A. Milone (University of Padua [Padova]), and A. Renzini (Astronomical Observatory of Padua [Padova]). Instrument: ACS/WFC Filters: F475W ("g") and F814W ("I") Exposure Dates: May 2005, August/November 2006 Exposure Time: 1.6 hours About the Image Image Credit: NASA, ESA, A. Sarajedini (University of Florida) and G. Piotto (University of Padua [Padova]) Release Date: May 2, 2007 Color This image is a composite of many separate exposures made by the ACS instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope. Two filters were used to sample light from broad wavelengths. The color results from assigning different hues (colors) to each monochromatic image. In this case, the assigned colors are: F475W ("g") blue F475W ("g") and F814W ("I") green F814W ("I") red Orientation/Scale: Globular Cluster with Multiple Stellar Populations [ http://imgsrc.hubblesite.org/hu/db/2007/18/images/a/formats/compass_large_web.jpg ] *News Release Number:*: STScI-2007-18b
NASA Identifier: SPD-HUBBLE-STScI-2007-18b