The hercules-aquila cloud

  • V. Belokurov
  • , N. W. Evans
  • , E. F. Bell
  • , M. J. Irwin
  • , P. C. Hewett
  • , S. Koposov
  • , C. M. Rockosi
  • , G. Gilmore
  • , D. B. Zucker
  • , M. Fellhauer
  • , M. I. Wilkinson
  • , D. M. Bramich
  • , S. Vidrih
  • , H. W. Rix
  • , T. C. Beers
  • , D. P. Schneider
  • , J. C. Barentine
  • , H. Brewington
  • , J. Brinkmann
  • , M. Harvanek
  • J. Krzesinski, D. Long, K. Pan, S. A. Snedden, O. Malanushenko, V. Malanushenko

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

148 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present evidence for a substantial overdensity of stars in the direction of the constellations of Hercules and Aquila. The cloud is centered at a Galactic longitude of l ≈ 40° and extends above and below the Galactic plane by at least 50°. Given its off-centeredness and height, it is unlikely that the Hercules-Aquila cloud is related to the bulge or thick disk. More likely, this is a new structural component of the Galaxy that passes through the disk. The cloud stretches ∼80° in longitude. Its heliocentric distance lies between 10 and 20 kpc so that the extent of the cloud in projection is ∼20 kpc by ∼15 kpc. It has an absolute magnitude of Mv = -13, and its stellar population appears to be comparable to, but somewhat more metal-rich than, M92.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)L89-L92
JournalAstrophysical Journal
Volume657
Issue number2 II
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 10 2007

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science

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