The Discovery of Tidal Tails around the Globular Cluster NGC 5466
Abstract
We report the discovery of tidal tails around the high-latitude Galactic globular cluster NGC 5466 in Sloan Digital Sky Survey data. Neural networks are used to reconstruct the probability distribution of cluster stars in ugriz space. The tails are clearly visible once extragalactic contaminants and field stars have been eliminated. They extend ~4° on the sky, corresponding to ~1 kpc in projected length. The orientation of the tails is in good agreement with the cluster's Galactic orbit, as judged from the proper-motion data.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- January 2006
- DOI:
- 10.1086/500362
- arXiv:
- arXiv:astro-ph/0511767
- Bibcode:
- 2006ApJ...637L..29B
- Keywords:
-
- Galaxy: Halo;
- Galaxy: Kinematics and Dynamics;
- Galaxy: Globular Clusters: Individual: NGC Number: NGC 5466;
- Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 4 pages, 4 figures, submitted to The Astrophysical Journal (Letters)