                        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.

                                2024 July 11

                       Globular Cluster Omega Centauri
                   Image Credit & Copyright: Juergen Stein

   Explanation: Globular star cluster Omega Centauri packs about 10
   million stars much older than the Sun into a volume some 150
   light-years in diameter. Also known as NGC 5139, at a distance of
   15,000 light-years it's 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. With a yellowish hue, Omega Centauri's red giant stars are
   easy to pick out in this sharp telescopic view. A two-decade-long
   exploration of the dense star cluster with the Hubble Space Telescope
   has revealed evidence for a massive black hole near the center of Omega
   Centauri.

                     Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
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