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Credit & Copyright: Steve Crouch
Explanation:
Centaurus, the
Centaur, is one of the most striking constellations in the
southern sky.
The Milky Way flows through this
celestial expanse whose wonders
also include the closest star to
the sun, Alpha Centauri, and the largest
globular star cluster in our
galaxy, Omega
Centauri.
This gorgeous wide-field telescopic view
of Omega Centauri shows off the cluster of about
10 million stars
and the surrounding star field, with very faint dust clouds and
distant background galaxies.
Omega Cen itself is about 15,000 light-years away and 150 light-years
in diameter - one of 150 or so known globular star clusters
that roam
the halo of our galaxy.
The stars in globular clusters are much
older, redder
and less massive than our Sun.
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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: globular cluster - Omega Centauri
Publications with words: globular cluster - Omega Centauri
See also: