M67 is an unusually old open cluster in Cancer with more than 500 stars, including many that are very similar to our Sun.
What It Is
An open cluster with 500+ stars, including many that are very similar to our Sun.
History
One of the oldest known open clusters, making it a rare survivor since most open clusters disperse much earlier.
Science Notes
- Contains many Sun-like stars, making it a key target for studying stellar evolution.
- Includes white dwarfs, red giants, and blue stragglers all in one system.
- Often considered a solar sibling lab.
- age
- ~3.5-4.5 billion years
- distance
- ~2,600-2,900 light-years (~15-17 quadrillion miles)
- width
- ~20-25 light-years (~120-150 trillion miles)
