RSGC3
| RSGC3 | |
|---|---|
| Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
| Right ascension | 18h 45m 20s[1] |
| Declination | −03° 24′ 43″[1] |
| Distance | 22+12 −8kly (7.0+3.7 −2.4kpc[2]) |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | not visible[2] |
| Apparent dimensions (V) | ~2′[2] |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Mass | ~2 × 104[2] M☉ |
| Radius | ~2 pc[2] |
| Estimated age | 18–24 my[2] |
| Associations | |
| Constellation | Scutum |
RSGC3 is a young massive open cluster belonging to the Milky Way galaxy. It was discovered in 2010 in the GLIMPSE survey data.[2][3] The only members of the cluster that are currently identified are 8–14 red supergiants—young massive stars undergoing helium burning in their cores. The cluster is located in the constellation Scutum at the distance of about 7 kpc from the Sun. It is likely situated at the intersection of the northern end of the Long Bar of the Milky Way and the inner portion of the Scutum–Centaurus Arm—one of its two major spiral arms.[2][3]
The age of RSGC3 is estimated at 18–24 million years. The observed red supergiants with the mass of about 12–15 solar masses are type II supernova progenitors. The cluster is heavily obscured and have not been detected in the visible light. It lies close to other groupings of red supergiants known as RSGC1, Stephenson 2 and Alicante 8. The mass of RSGC3 is estimated at 20 thousand solar masses, which makes it one of the most massive open clusters in the Galaxy.[2]
More work has identified a population of at least 30 additional red supergiants in the vicinity of RSGC3, 7 of which are tightly grouped and have been assumed to form a cluster name Alicante 7.[4] The number of red supergiants identified in the several small areas studied in this region of the sky forms a significant fraction of all those known in the galaxy, suggesting very unusual properties for the region near the end of the galactic bar.
References
- ^ a b "SIMBAD Astronomical Database". Results for RSGC 3. Retrieved 2010-11-15.
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| Bound | |
|---|---|
| Unbound | |
| Visual grouping | |
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