47 Tucanae is the second largest globular star cluster in our galaxy, containing over a million solar masses. The cluster is 120 light years in width, and is 16,700 light years away in the southern constellation Tucana (the "toucan"). Stellar separation in the core, as with many globular clusters, is 1/10 light year or less, or 1,000 stars per cubic light year. Contrast that with the separation of 4.2 light years between our Sun and the nearest star.
Globular Cluster "47 Tucanae"
Date Taken:August 31, 2014
Location Taken:Siding Spring Observatory, NSW Australia
Conditions of Location: Equipment Used:Planewave 20" corrected Dall-Kirkham telescope, FLI PL6303E camera
Processing Used:12 x 3 minutes luminance, and 8 x 3 minutes RGB, for a total exposure of about 75 minutes, processed in Maxim DL and Photoshop
Distance from Location:16,700 light years
Constellation:Tucana
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