Hubble photographs one of galaxy’s oldest star clusters

TORONTO – The Hubble Space Telescope has provided scientists with the most detailed image of one of the oldest globular clusters in our galaxy.

Globular clusters are home to some of the oldest stars in our universe. They are a dense set of stars that are gravitationally bound to one another. The stars vary in colour because blue stars are hotter than the golden-coloured stars.

Our Milky Way has 150 clusters, but recently Hubble found an incredible 160,000 in a galaxy cluster.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

This globular cluster – home to 100,000 stars – is called Messier 15 and can be found in the constellation Pegasus. It is around 12 billion years old and 350,000 light-years from Earth.

Scientists also believe that it may house a rare type of black hole.

For a high-resolution image click here.

View image in full screen