Mayall II

Group of stars in the constellation Andromeda
Mayall II
Mayall II (HST-Judy Schmidt-JPG)
Hubble Telescope image of Mayall II
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, with an absolute visual magnitude of -10.94 and the luminosity of 2 million Suns.[4] It has 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][5]

Origin of names

See also

  • Astronomy portal

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. S2CID 16360116.
  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. S2CID 3591548.
  4. ^ a b admin (2021-01-31). "Mayall II". Messier Objects. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  5. ^ 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. S2CID 17778865.

External links

  • Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 370, p. 495–504
  • Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, Vol. 65, No. 382, p. 24–29
  • Astronomical Journal, vol. 82, p. 947–953
  • NightSkyInfo.com: Mayall II
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Location
Andromeda Galaxy  Andromeda subgroup  Local Group  Local Sheet  Virgo Supercluster  Laniakea Supercluster  Local Hole  Observable universe  Universe
Each   may be read as "within" or "part of".
Andromeda Galaxy
Andromeda Galaxy
Satellite galaxies

*It is uncertain whether these are companion galaxies of the Andromeda Galaxy

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