Astronomy Picture of the Day
Discover the cosmos!
Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is
featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
2014 May 29
Millions of Stars in Omega Centauri
Image Credit &
Copyright:
CEDIC Team,
Processing - Christoph Kaltseis
Explanation:
Globular star cluster
Omega Centauri,
also known as NGC 5139, is some 15,000 light-years away.
The cluster is
packed with about 10 million stars
much older than the Sun within a volume about 150 light-years in diameter,
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.
This astronomically sharp
color image of the classic globular cluster
was recorded in March under Chilean skies from
Hacienda Los Andes.
Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space
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Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(
MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell (
UMCP)
NASA Official: Phillip Newman
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