Stargazers looking south may catch a dazzling sight tonight. Known as 47 Tucanae, the cluster is a jewel of the Milky Way’s halo.
What makes 47 Tucanae so bright?
The cluster, also known as NGC 104, is 13,000 light-years away. It is the second brightest globular cluster observable from Earth after Omega Centauri. With hundreds of thousands of stars packed together, it spans about 120 light-years across. Its red giant stars glow yellow, standing out in telescopic images.
47 Tucanae can be seen near the Small Magellanic Cloud. It lies in the constellation Tucana, making it visible to the naked eye under clear skies.
Why is it important for astronomy?
The dense star cluster roams space with about 200 similar globular groups around the Milky Way. It is also known to host a star orbiting closer to a black hole than any other known system. Astronomers remain interested in it for information on stellar evolution and galactic history
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