Ned Potter is the science correspondent for ABC's "World News with Charles Gibson." He has reported on such topics as space exploration, the human genome and climate change.
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Millions and Millions
December 02, 2008 1:55 PM
This is one of those cases in which a picture is worth a thousand words -- or perhaps 186, which is what I've written below.
The picture is of Omega Centauri, a globular cluster (or perhaps dwarf galaxy) in the southern sky. It contains perhaps ten million stars, about 17,000 light-years from Earth. It was identified by Edmond Halley, of comet fame, in 1677. New observations by the Hubble telescope suggest there may be a black hole at its center, 40,000 times as massive as our Sun.
The image was combined from several pictures shot by the 2.2-meter diameter Max-Planck/ESO telescope, located at the La Silla observatory, high in the mountains of the Atacama Desert in Chile. The telescope is run by the European Southern Observatory, a consortium from thirteen countries.
Click HERE for more information. And HERE for larger versions of the image. Or click on the picture itself; it's best enjoyed big.
If you lived under clear skies in Chile, or almost anywhere else in the southern hemisphere, Omega Centauri would loom as large as the Moon in the sky, a dim, fuzzy ball of stars.
If you lived on a planet orbiting one of those millions of stars, imagine how luminous the night sky there might be.
December 2, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (16)
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17k light years...
astrophysics!
Posted by: bah | Dec 2, 2008 2:44:44 PM
It brings up a question: What's the difference between a "cluster" and a "galaxy?" Is there a hard definition, or is this another one of those planet/dwarf/planetesimal arguments?
Posted by: andyr | Dec 2, 2008 2:57:24 PM
The words "come unto me" in the Bible describes this picture. My interpretation of theses words mean "I've given you the ability to get off this planet and come unto me"
Posted by: Howard | Dec 2, 2008 3:41:18 PM
Gorgeous.
Andyr, from what I understand, a star cluster is a group of stars gravitationally bound together and forming part of a galaxy.
Posted by: Eleonora27 | Dec 2, 2008 3:47:27 PM
Just think; all that beauty out there while this cess pool we call earth rots!
Posted by: brannigon1 | Dec 2, 2008 4:54:13 PM
Star clusters are the oldest of stars on the outer edges of galaxies.
Posted by: Dan | Dec 2, 2008 5:08:32 PM
Brannigon1 may consider Earth a cesspool but there is more beauty here than anyother planet found in the universe.
Posted by: Lionel | Dec 2, 2008 5:15:06 PM
Lionel,
You have visited every single planet in the universe!?
Awesome
Posted by: Ron | Dec 2, 2008 5:42:44 PM
Pwright,
You, that there is no "lesser light", right? The moon just gives a reflection of the "greater light". Of course, the Hebrew people didn't know that.
Posted by: Ron | Dec 2, 2008 5:45:54 PM
You've personally checked all the other planets in the universe have you, Lionel?
Posted by: Dan | Dec 2, 2008 5:46:59 PM
Simply amazing!! Diamonds in the sky!!! Beautiful!!
Posted by: fselby | Dec 2, 2008 5:52:44 PM
Oh, Ned, thank you! There are no adequate adjectives to describe it.
I so wish we lived without light and air pollution and could actually see the sky as the ancients did - and see by starlight at night.
Posted by: Jill Nikolaides | Dec 2, 2008 6:32:22 PM
One of those must contain some kind of life form!
Posted by: obriann | Dec 2, 2008 7:08:22 PM
We all know those hundred billion stars were created in just one day six thousand four hundred and thirty two years ago!
Posted by: Sarah Palin | Dec 2, 2008 7:49:13 PM
Very nice image! It can only be appreciated when you look at the full 60 megapixel original. I sure wish I had a 60 megapixel monitor.
It has been a while since I took a look at Omega Cen with a small telescope. While nothing I have viewed it with could resolve anywhere near as many stars, it always looked more three dimensional when viewed with the eye compared to a photograph. Hard to explain unless you see it for yourself. From where I am at it is best viewed in Spring. This picture is enough to make me want to get the telescope out and have another look!
Posted by: Achernar | Dec 2, 2008 11:03:32 PM
Sub: Stability- 17,000 LY- SUDARSANAM
Every phenomena should help scientists to think beyond the present level of inadequacy of perception from Blackhole psychology super-imposition to merely writing to justfy big-bang proposition.
At this scale what one expects ?
Beyond ~1000 Ly all darkmatter should vanish and LEAD KINDLY LIGHT should prevail.Science in Philosophy leads the way
Relative stability concept will propel next dimension of knowledge. Search
SUDARSANAM- Cosmlogy Vedas Interlinks
Posted by: vidyardhi nanduri | Dec 30, 2008 9:30:30 PM
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