Globular cluster NGC 1261

Three-colour composite of the Globular Cluster NGC 1261, composed of images taken at 4 (blue), 15 (green), and 90 (red) micrometers using Akari’s near- and mid-Infrared Camera (IRC). The cluster is located in the constellation Horologium, about 53 000 light-years from us.

A cloud of stars seen in blue at the centre of the image is the globular cluster. Seven red sources around the clusters are all galaxies lying behind. These galaxies possess plenty of interstellar dust that emits brightly in the far-infrared. In contrast, only stars are seen in the globular cluster itself. Akari has confirmed that there is no dust present in NGC 1261.