This Chandra X-ray Image of Globular Cluster M62 shows that this globular contains a large number of stellar X-ray sources. The majority of these is thought to be close binary stars which emit X-rays. M62 has much more X-ray binaries than other globular clusters such as M30. As these binaries are thought to be formed in close encounters of member stars of the globular cluster, such encounters apparently occur more frequently in M62.
Image scale: Image is approx. 2.5 arcmin on a side.
Credit: NASA/CXC/MIT/D. Pooley et.al.
Last Modification: 7 Aug 2003