Omega Centauri
This photo of Omega Centauri, the brightest and largest globular cluster in the sky, was obtained with the Danish 1.5 m telescope at the ESO La Silla observatory. It shows the central part only; the cluster is actually much larger than the field reproduced here. At a distance of about 16,500 light-years, the diameter of the field corresponds to a linear distance of about 90 light-years. Within this area, there are hundreds of thousands of stars which belong to the cluster.
A recent investigation carried out with the CORAVEL instrument, also attached to this telescope, has shown that the total mass of Omega Centauri is in excess of 5 million solar masses, making it by far the most massive cluster of its type on the Milky Way galaxy.
Credit:
ESO
About the Image
| Id: | eso9411a |
| Type: | Observation |
| Release date: | 27 May 1994 |
| Related releases: | eso9411 |
| Size: | 400 x 349 px |
About the Object
| Name: | Omega Centauri |
| Type: | • Milky Way : Star : Grouping : Cluster : Globular • X - Star Clusters |
| Distance: | 17000 light years |
Coordinates
| Position (RA): | 23h 50m 30.60s |
| Position (Dec): | -43° 26' 2.96" |
Colours & filters
| Band | Wavelength | Telescope |
| Optical B |
465 nm | Danish 1.54-metre telescope |
Images
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