Superluminous giants in Magellanic Cloud clusters.
Abstract
The C-M diagram of the LMC blue, globular-like cluster NGC 1866 is known to exhibit a large number of yellow- and red-core helium-burning giants. Short exposure photographic plates taken with the CTIO 4-m Ritchey-Chretien camera provide an opportunity to study the stellar content of the central regions of this cluster. In and near the core of NGC 1866, 11 superluminous giants (SLGs), apparently similar to those found in other LMC blue, globular-like clusters, have been identified. These stars lie more than 0.5 mag above the core helium-burning giants. It is proposed that SLGs are protoplanetary nebulae, i.e., stars that, having ejected their envelopes as luminous red giants, are crossing the C-M diagram toward becoming central star planetary nebulae.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- October 1981
- DOI:
- 10.1086/183647
- Bibcode:
- 1981ApJ...249L..11F
- Keywords:
-
- Giant Stars;
- Late Stars;
- Magellanic Clouds;
- Planetary Nebulae;
- Star Clusters;
- Stellar Luminosity;
- Globular Clusters;
- Star Distribution;
- Stellar Evolution;
- Stellar Magnitude;
- Astronomy