NASA has shared stunning new images of the Messier 55 globular star cluster, located approximately 20,000 light-years from Earth. Here are images from the Hubble Space Telescope.
NASA and the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Hubble Space Telescope has captured yet another spectacular view of the cosmos we call our home. The images, shared by NASA on Twitter, shed light on the globular star cluster known as Messier 55, located about 20,000 light-years from Earth.
NASA Shares Astonishing Images of the Cosmos
The dazzling array of stars shared by NASA shows us only a small part of the Messier 55 star cluster. Located 20,000 light-years away, this cluster is about 100 light-years across and makes up only a small fraction of the total galaxy. However, the Space Agency also shared a small benchmark image to show the area covered by the new image.
The above image shows us the location of the photo taken from the M55 star cluster. On the other hand, some telescopes in the world can also select M55 stars, but it is not possible to compare with Hubble due to light pollution. Indeed, today the Hubble Telescope has a clear view in low Earth orbit. This makes it possible to see individual stars in clusters.
Hubble also contributed to the discovery of “blue stragglers” stars in globular clusters such as Messier 55. These stars, which are abundant in the Hubble image, appear bluish in color and younger than other stars of different colors around them.
