Research report 2011 - Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
The unsettled inner life of a young star cluster
Authors
Rochau, Boyke; Brandner, Wolfgang; Gennaro, Mario; Gouliermis, Dimitrios; Da Rio, Nicola; da Rio, Natalia; Henning, Thomas
Departments
Abteilung Planeten- und Sternentstehung (Thomas Henning)
Summary
Measurements were made of the velocities of a large number of stars in a young galactic cluster, whose age is only about one million years. The cluster is embedded in the bright emission nebula NGC 3603. It is one of the most massive objects of its kind within the Milky Way. To determine the individual stellar velocities, the astronomers compared the positions of the stars on two images taken with the Hubble Space Telescope ten years apart. From this comparison the motion of hundreds of stars could be determined, showing that the cluster stars have not yet reached a dynamically configuration.