Hubble captures a cluster within the center of the Milky Manner

This vivid starfield, captured by the NASA/ESA Hubble Train Telescope’s Wide Discipline Camera 3 and Evolved Camera for Surveys, comprises the globular cluster ESO 520-21 (continuously identified as Palomar 6). A densely packed, roughly spherical assortment of stars, it lies conclude to the center of the Milky Manner, the keep interstellar gasoline and dirt relish starlight and produce observations more anxious.

Interstellar absorption affects some wavelengths of light greater than others, changing the colors of gigantic objects by causing them to appear redder than they actually are. Astronomers call this direction of “reddening,” and it makes determining the properties of globular clusters conclude to the galactic center—resembling ESO 520-21—in particular complicated.

ESO 520-21 lies within the constellation Ophiuchus, conclude to the celestial equator. Ophiuchus used to be one in every of the 48 constellations included within the writings of the 2nd-century Egyptian astronomer Ptolemy, all of which could perhaps be amongst the 88 constellations officially identified by the Global Good Union recently.