Hubble recorded this star-studded image using among its most versatile instruments; the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). Much like the stars in globular clusters, Hubbles instruments also have distinct generations: ACS is a third-generation instrument that changed the original Faint Object Camera in 2002. A few of Hubbles other instruments have also gone through three models: the Wide Field Camera 3 replaced the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) throughout the final maintenance mission to Hubble. WFPC2 itself replaced the initial Wide Field and Planetary Camera, which was set up on Hubble at launch..
Among its numerous achievements, ACS has actually helped map the distribution of dark matter, discovered the most far-off objects in the universe, searched for massive exoplanets, and studied the advancement of clusters of galaxies.
The Advanced Camera for Surveys, which changed Hubbles Faint Object Camera throughout Servicing Mission 3B, provides a wavelength range that extends from the ultraviolet, through the visible and out to the near-infrared. Its large field of vision is nearly twice that of WFPC2, Hubbles previous workhorse cam that it replaced. It uses splendid image quality and high level of sensitivity, and has increased Hubbles capacity for new discoveries by a factor of 10.
By ESA/Hubble
June 6, 2022
Astronauts on the NASA Space Shuttle serviced Hubble in orbit a total of five times and had the ability to either upgrade aging equipment or change instruments with more recent, more capable variations. This state-of-the-art tinkering in low Earth orbit has assisted keep Hubble at the cutting edge of astronomy for more than 3 years.
Hubble Space Telescope of globular cluster Ruprecht 106. Credit: ESA/Hubble & & NASA, A. Dotter
Like a massive version of Sherlock Holmess magnifying glass, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has been used to peer into a huge secret in search of clues.
These distinct chemical finger prints are left by groups of stars with very somewhat various ages or compositions from the remainder of the cluster. A small handful of globular clusters do not have these several populations of stars, and Ruprecht 106 belongs to this enigmatic group.
The Advanced Camera for Surveys, which replaced Hubbles Faint Object Camera throughout Servicing Mission 3B, offers a wavelength variety that extends from the ultraviolet, through the noticeable and out to the near-infrared. Its large field of view is nearly two times that of WFPC2, Hubbles former workhorse video camera that it changed. Much like the stars in globular clusters, Hubbles instruments also have unique generations: ACS is a third-generation instrument that replaced the original Faint Object Camera in 2002. Some of Hubbles other instruments have actually also gone through 3 versions: the Wide Field Camera 3 changed the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) throughout the final maintenance mission to Hubble.
The enigma in question concerns the globular cluster Ruprecht 106, which is visualized in this image. While the majority of the constituent stars of globular clusters all formed at approximately the very same area and time, it ends up that almost all globular clusters consist of groups of stars with distinct chemical structures.
Globular clusters are stable clusters of 10s of thousands to countless stars. They are generally much bigger than open clusters and are firmly gravitationally bound.
