Jump to content

Mayall II

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Loooke (talk | contribs) at 20:48, 24 January 2018 (Use {{cite simbad}}). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Mayall II
Hubble Telescope image of Mayall II, colour picture assembled from separate images taken in visible and near-infrared wavelengths in July 1994.
Credit: Michael Rich, Kenneth Mighell, and James D. Neill (Columbia University), and Wendy Freedman (Carnegie Observatories) and NASA
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
ConstellationAndromeda
Right ascension00h 32m 46.51s[1]
Declination+39° 34′ 39.7″[1]
Distance2.52 ± 0.14 Mly (770 ± 40 kpc)
Apparent magnitude (V)+13.81[1]
Physical characteristics
Mass1×107[2] M (2×1037 kg)
Radius21.2 ± 1.0 ly (6.5 ± 0.3 pc) (Half light radius rh) and tidal radius 263.2 ± 12.7 ly (80.7 ± 3.9 pc) [3]
Estimated age~ 12 Gyr [2]
Other designationsSKHB 1, HBK 0-1[1]
See also: Globular cluster, List of globular clusters

Mayall II, also known as NGC-224-G1, SKHB 1, GSC 2788:2139, HBK 0-1, M31GC J003247+393440 or Andromeda's Cluster, is a globular cluster orbiting M31, the Andromeda Galaxy.

It is located 130,000 light-years (40 kpc)[3] from the Andromeda Galaxy's galactic core, and is the brightest[3] (by absolute magnitude) globular cluster in the Local Group, having an apparent magnitude of 13.81 in V band. Mayall II is considered to have twice the mass of Omega Centauri, and may contain a central, intermediate-mass (∼ 2×104 M) black hole.[3]

It was first identified as a possible globular cluster by American astronomers Nicholas Mayall and Olin J. Eggen in 1953 using a Palomar 48-inch (1.2 m) Schmidt plate exposed in 1948.[3]

Because of the widespread distribution of metallicity, indicating multiple star generations and a large stellar creation period, many contend that it is not a true globular cluster, but is actually the galactic core that remains of a dwarf galaxy consumed by Andromeda.[3][4]

Origin of names

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "NAME Mayall II". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 2009-09-13.
  2. ^ a b Ma, Jun; de Grijs, Richard; Fan, Zhou; Rey, Soo-Chang; Wu, Zhen-Yu; Zhou, Xu; Wu, Jiang-Hua; Jiang, Zhao-Ji; Chen, Jian-Sheng; Lee, Kyungsook; Sohn, Sangmo Tony (June 2009). "RESEARCH PAPER: Old stellar population synthesis: new age and mass estimates for Mayall II = G1". Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics. 9 (6): 641–652. arXiv:0904.0674. Bibcode:2009RAA.....9..641M. doi:10.1088/1674-4527/9/6/003.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Ma, J.; de Grijs, R.; Chen, D.; van den Bergh, S.; Fan, Z.; Wu, Z.; Wu, H.; Zhou, X.; Wu, J.; Jiang, Z.; Chen, J. (April 2007). "Structural parameters of Mayall II = G1 in M31". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 376 (4): 1621–1629. arXiv:astro-ph/0702012. Bibcode:2007MNRAS.376.1621M. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2007.11573.x.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
  4. ^ Meylan, G.; Sarajedini, A.; Jablonka, P.; Djorgovski, S. G.; Bridges, T.; Rich, R. M. (August 2001). "Mayall II=G1 in M31: Giant Globular Cluster or Core of a Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy?". The Astronomical Journal. 122 (2): 830–841. arXiv:astro-ph/0105013. Bibcode:2001AJ....122..830M. doi:10.1086/321166.