Galaxies


Milky Way
Globular
Clusters

Index


1. Introduction
2. Orbits
3. Omega Centauri
4. 47 Tucanae
5. 47 Tuc Core
6. 47 Tuc Blue Stragglers
7. M4
8. M5
9. M10
10. M13
11. M15
12. M22
13. NGC 6522
14. Galactic Centre Chart
15. List of MW Globulars
16. Credits and Links
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47 Tucanae - Blue Stragglers

47 Tucanae, Hubble Site

Image credit: Hubble Site

Astronomers have long speculated about the origin of a few hot, bright, apparently young stars residing in globular clusters, where most stars are much older. With the Hubble telescope, they now have evidence that may help determine how these enigmatic stars, blue stragglers, were formed. A team of astronomers using the HST have confirmed that a blue straggler in the core of 47 Tucanae is a massive, rapidly rotating star that is spinning 75 times faster than the Sun. This finding indicates that blue stragglers are created by collisions or other intimate encounters in the crowded cluster core.

Source: Hubble Site Press Release