NGC 206
NGC 206 is a massive star-forming region (also known as an 'OB association') embedded in the Andromeda Galaxy (M31). It is clearly visible in the center to upper-left corner of the image. It is estimated to have a mass about 200,000 times that of our Sun. Its distinctive bluish color is from very young hot, massive stars in the cluster. The presence of these massive stars indicate that the cluster is less than 10 million years old, which is very young for stars. The red nebulae in the galaxies are locations in M31 where star formation is currently underway.
| Observatory: | WIYN Observatory Kitt Peak, Arizona |
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| Telescope: | WIYN 0.9-Meter |
| Instrument: | Mosaic I |
| Astronomer: | T.A. Rector and A. Strom (University of Alaska Anchorage) and WIYN Observatory |
| Date of Observation: | 12-20-2005 |
| Filters and Assigned Colors: | B (blue), V (green) and Hydrogen-Alpha (red) |
| Exposure Times: | 5x5min in BV and 8x10min in H-alpha |
| Location of Image: | Andromeda |
| Field of View: | 24.8 x 32.3 arcmin |
| Orientation: | North is down, East is right |
| Link to Larger Image | |
| Link to Full Resolution Image | |
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