Source: ESO Photo Release eso1048
Globular cluster Messier 107, also known as NGC 6171, located about 21 000 light-years away in the constellation of Ophiuchus.
Image credit: ESO/ESO Imaging Survey
About 150 of the rich collections of old stars called globular clusters are known to orbit our galaxy, the Milky Way. This sharp new image of Messier 107, captured by the Wide Field Imager on the 2.2-meter telescope at ESO’s La Silla Observatory in Chile, displays the structure of one such globular cluster in exquisite detail. Studying these stellar swarms has revealed much about the history of our galaxy and how stars evolve. (read more)
