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Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Blue Straggler Stars in Globular Cluster M53
NASA ^ | April 09, 2012 | (see photo credit)

Posted on 04/09/2012 7:34:49 PM PDT by SunkenCiv

Explanation: If our Sun were part of M53, the night sky would glow like a jewel box of bright stars. M53, also known as NGC 5024, is one of about 250 globular clusters that survive in our Galaxy. Most of the stars in M53 are older and redder than our Sun, but some enigmatic stars appear to be bluer and younger. These young stars might contradict the hypothesis that all the stars in M53 formed at nearly the same time. These unusual stars are known as blue stragglers and are unusually common in M53. After much debate, blue stragglers are now thought to be stars rejuvenated by fresh matter falling in from a binary star companion. By analyzing pictures of globular clusters like the above image taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers use the abundance of stars like blue stragglers to help determine the age of the globular cluster and hence a limit on the age of the universe. M53, visible with a binoculars towards the constellation of Bernice's Hair (Coma Berenices), contains over 250,000 stars and is one of the furthest globulars from the center of our Galaxy.

April 09, 2012

(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; astronomy; berniceshair; comaberenices; hst; m53; ngc5024; science
[Credit: ESA/Hubble, NASA]

1 posted on 04/09/2012 7:35:09 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
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To: brytlea; cripplecreek; decimon; bigheadfred; KoRn; Grammy; married21; steelyourfaith; Mmogamer; ...

Wow.


2 posted on 04/09/2012 7:36:40 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (FReepathon 2Q time -- https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: SunkenCiv

They now have wonderful medicines for Blue Stragglers. Clears it up in no time flat.


3 posted on 04/09/2012 7:40:01 PM PDT by left that other site
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To: SunkenCiv
blue stragglers are now thought to be stars rejuvenated by fresh matter falling in from a binary star companion

WHY? Does that seem so familiar???

4 posted on 04/09/2012 7:42:13 PM PDT by bigheadfred
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To: bigheadfred

:’) Stellar! Stellar!!!


5 posted on 04/09/2012 8:42:39 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (FReepathon 2Q time -- https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: left that other site

I think the rest of the Blue Man Group probably cut them loose by now, they were never on time for gigs.


6 posted on 04/09/2012 8:43:57 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (FReepathon 2Q time -- https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: SunkenCiv
Gorgeous! Praise The LORD who is the magnificent artist. The more we know, the more we have to see His awesome hand in everything created.
7 posted on 04/09/2012 9:48:17 PM PDT by Bellflower (The LORD is Holy, separated from all sin, perfect, righteous, high and lifted up.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Ha Ha Ha!


8 posted on 04/10/2012 4:32:56 AM PDT by left that other site
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To: SunkenCiv

Ooooh! Blue, shiny, and sparkly! Ya got me.


9 posted on 04/10/2012 7:38:16 AM PDT by TheOldLady (FReepmail me to get ON or OFF the ZOT LIGHTNING ping list)
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To: SunkenCiv

One of my favorite objects! In a wider view, there are a pair of stars very close to this cluster (visually anyway) that make it quite a sight.

This link: http://home.comcast.net/~waccoo/m53.htm

goes to some very poor photos I took in my back yard about 7 or 8 years ago.

You may be more forgiving if you realize that I live in a small urban center in South Georgia. At the time of the photo, we lived about 1/2 mile from several factories and 2 miles from the center of the city.


10 posted on 04/10/2012 7:53:54 AM PDT by Conan the Librarian (The Best in Life is to crush my enemies, see them driven before me, and the Dewey Decimal System)
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