Omega Centauri
Designation: NGC 5139 / C80
Hemisphere: Southern
Constellation: Centaurus
Distance: 17,090 light years
Object type: Globular cluster
Description
Located in the southern constellation Centaurus, about 17,090 light years away from Earth, Omega Centauri is a globular cluster -a spheroidal conglomeration of stars bound together by gravity. It is famous as the brightest, largest and most massive globular cluster in our galaxy.
Omega Centauri has in fact a diameter of roughly 150 light-years, a mass of over 4 million solar masses and is estimated to contain approximately 10 million stars.
A 2008 study suggested that an intermediate-mass black hole with a mass at 40,000 solar masses may be lurking at the centre of Omega Centauri. This, however, was never confirmed or disproved.
Acquisition details
Total integration time: 8 hours 25 minutes
Acquisition software: CHI-1 (Telescope Live)
Processing software: PixInsight
Location: Chile
Full size image
The Lonely Photon 