Hidden star cluster discovered in Milky Way's crowded disk defies easy classification
Astronomers have discovered a stellar cluster hidden in the crowded disk of the Milky Way. The object, named Garro 04, was first identified as an unusual collection of stars in observations from the VVVX survey and was later confirmed using infrared spectroscopy. A paper outlining the properties of this seemingly mysterious stellar system was posted to the arXiv preprint server on September 21.
Astronomers have discovered a new stellar cluster named Garro 04 within the crowded disk of the Milky Way galaxy. Identified through infrared imaging, this mysterious system was initially spotted as an unusual collection of red giant stars in the VISTA Variables in the Via Láctea and its extension (VVVX) survey. Further analysis, combining data from multiple surveys including VVVX, Gaia Data Release 3, and 2MASS, revealed that Garro 04 is located approximately 32,800 light-years away from the Sun.
Using proper-motion selection to separate genuine cluster members from unrelated stars, researchers found that only about 29% of the initially identified stars were likely members of the cluster. The cluster's location, age, and chemical composition suggest it may belong to a unique and ambiguous group of objects, falling somewhere between the typical young open cluster and classic globular cluster categories.
As such, Garro 04 joins a growing list of similarly puzzling in-between clusters discovered in recent studies, hinting at the potential existence of many more hidden small and faint star clusters within the Milky Way's dusty central regions.
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