HUBBLE ATLAS
Star on a Hubble diet (Cl Pismis 24 , Pismis 24 , Pismis 24-1) — image from the Hubble Space Telescope

Star clusters

Star on a Hubble diet

December 11, 2006 · ESA/Hubble · Cl Pismis 24 , Pismis 24 , Pismis 24-1

Zoom to full resolution Original on ESA/Hubble ↗

Left: ACS WFC image of NGC 6357 with Pismis 24-1 in the centre (the brightest star). Middle: Looking closer at Pismis 24-1 with Hubble's ACS High Resolution Channel it becomes clear that it is in reality two stars.Right: ACS HRC image close-up showing the two stars of Pismis 24-1. It was thought to have an incredibly large mass of 200 to 300 solar masses. New NASA/ESA Hubble measurements of the star, have, however, resolved Pismis 24-1 into two separate stars, and, in doing so, have "halved" its mass to around 100 solar masses.