Comparison Observation of R136a1, Zorro and Hubble (Annotated)

This comparison image shows the exceptional sharpness and clarity of the Zorro imager on the 8.1-meter Gemini South telescope in Chile (left) when compared to an earlier image taken with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope (right). The new Gemini South image allowed astronomers to clearly distinguish the star R136a1 from its nearby stellar companions, providing the data needed to reveal that – while still the most massive star known in the Universe – it is less massive than previously thought. 

Credit:

International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA
Acknowledgment: Image processing: T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage/NSF’s NOIRLab), M. Zamani (NSF’s NOIRLab) & D. de Martin (NSF’s NOIRLab); NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope 

About the Image

Id:noirlab2220c
Type:Collage
Release date:Aug. 18, 2022, 1 p.m.
Related releases:noirlab2220
Size:2125 x 1129 px

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BandTele-scope
Gemini South
Zorro