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A Swarm of Ancient Stars
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A Swarm of Ancient Stars
This stellar swarm is M80 (NGC 6093), one of the densest of the 147 known globular star clusters in the Milky Way galaxy. Located about 28, 000 light-years from Earth, M80 contains hundreds of thousands of stars, all held together by their mutual gravitational attraction. Globular clusters are particularly useful for studying stellar evolution, since all of the stars in the cluster have the same age (about 15 billion years), but cover a range of stellar masses. Every star visible in this image is either more highly evolved than, or in a few rare cases more massive than, our own Sun. Especially obvious are the bright red giants, which are stars similar to the Sun in mass that are nearing the ends of their lives
Space Image feature a selection of NASA's incredible imagery
Media ID 635215
© NASA
Hubble Space Telescope Globular Cluster Milky Way
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This print showcases the awe-inspiring beauty of M80 (NGC 6093), a remarkable globular star cluster nestled within our Milky Way galaxy. With its dense concentration of stars, M80 is among the most tightly packed clusters out of the 147 known in our galactic neighborhood. Located an astonishing 28,000 light-years away from Earth, this celestial marvel boasts hundreds of thousands of stars that are bound together by their gravitational pull. Globular clusters like M80 offer scientists a unique opportunity to study stellar evolution due to their homogeneous age and diverse range of stellar masses. Each star captured in this image shares an approximate age of 15 billion years with one another but exhibits variations in size and mass compared to our own Sun. The photograph vividly portrays these differences, particularly highlighting the presence of vibrant red giants - massive stars nearing the end stages of their life cycles. Taken by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), this mesmerizing snapshot not only serves as a testament to mankind's insatiable curiosity about the universe but also provides invaluable insights into how stars evolve over time. As we gaze upon this breathtaking display, we are reminded once again that there is so much more waiting to be discovered beyond our earthly realm.
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