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Department Feature
First Light for the BYU 0.9-m Telescope
This image was secured during the installation of the 0.9-m telescope at the BYU West Mountain Observatory. Data for this image is from August 27, 2009. This was the first night that a CCD had been mounted on the telescope so that imaging was possible. This 'First Light' image shows the globular cluster known as M15 in the constellation of Pegasus. The distance to this cluster is more than 33,000 light years and yet individual stars are easily resolved all through the cluster. Globular cluster stars have an extremely low abundance of heavy elements as compared to stars found in the solar neighborhood and represent the oldest population of stars known in the Galaxy. It is interesting to note the many cool red giant stars that are visible in the cluster as well as a large number of evolved horizontal branch stars that are blue in color. Many of the horizontal branch stars are known to be RR Lyrae variable stars that are useful as distance indicators since it is possible to determine their luminosity and compare that value to their apparent magnitude as measured from the observed images. The color image processing for this picture is the work of Dr. Rob Gendler. Dr. Gendler is well known for producing amazingly detailed astronomical images that are often featured on the Astronomy Picture of the Day. Read More

Department News for Wednesday May 16th, 2012

You are invited to Astrofest 2012

BYU’s annual Astrofest will take place on Saturday, May 19th in the Eyring Science Center. The community is invited to attend the all-day event and participate in a variety of free, family activities that combine science and fun. [Read More]

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Star Formation in the Tarantula Nebula

The largest, most violent star forming region known in the whole Local Group of galaxies lies in our neighboring galaxy the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Were the Tarantula Nebula at the distance of the Orion Nebula -- a local star forming region -- it would take up fully half the sky. [Read More]

The Astronomy Picture of the Day is a NASA web site that features a new image or photograph of the universe each day.

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