NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
Hubble Space Telescope imaging of the central star forming region in NGC 1140 (exp 1)We present broadband images taken with the Hubble Space Telescope's Planetary Camera of the central supergiant H II region in the amorphous galaxy NGC 1140. These images allow observations to a resolution of about 13 pc at the galaxy, and they reveal that its central 1/2 kpc contains 6-7 blue, luminous, compact super star clusters, many of which would be comparable in luminosity to globular clusters at the same age. A blue arc-shaped structure near the center may be a grouping of less luminous, R136/NGC 2070-sized clusters or a sheet of OB stars. Additional somewhat less luminous and redder clusters are also found farther out from the center. If these clusters are older, they too could have had luminosities comparable to those of the central six clusters at a comparable age. Thus, we find that NGC 1140 is remarkable in the number of extreme clusters that it has formed recently in a relatively small area of the galaxy. Since NGC 1140 exhibits global characteristics that are consistent with a recent merger, these clusters are likely to be a product of that event. This galaxy adds to the number of cases where rapid star formation has evidently produced super star clusters.
Document ID
19950029865
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Hunter, Deidre A.
(Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff, AZ United States)
O'Connell, Robert W.
(Univ. of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA United States)
Gallagher, John S. Iii
(Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI United States)
Date Acquired
August 16, 2013
Publication Date
July 1, 1994
Publication Information
Publication: The Astronomical Journal
Volume: 108
Issue: 1
ISSN: 0004-6256
Subject Category
Astrophysics
Accession Number
95A61464
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAGW-2596
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

Available Downloads

There are no available downloads for this record.
No Preview Available