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Credit & Copyright: Mike O'Day
Explanation:
Behold the largest ball of stars in our galaxy.
Omega Centauri
is packed with about 10 million stars,
many older than
our Sun and packed within a volume of only about 150
light-years in diameter.
The star cluster is the largest and brightest of 200 or so known
globular
clusters that roam the
halo
of our Milky Way galaxy.
Though most
star clusters
consist of stars with the same age and
composition, the enigmatic Omega Cen exhibits the presence of
different
stellar populations with a spread of ages and chemical abundances.
In fact,
Omega
Cen may be the remnant core of a small galaxy merging with
the Milky Way.
The featured image shows so many stars because it merged different exposures with
high
dynamic range (HDR) techniques.
Omega Centauri,
also known as NGC 5139, lies about 15,000 light-years away toward the
southern constellation of the Centaurus.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Omega Centauri - globular cluster
Publications with words: Omega Centauri - globular cluster
See also: