M22 - A Globular ClusterM22 is one of over 100 globular clusters in our galaxy. These clusters contain up to 100,000 stars, tightly bound together by their mutual gravity. Formed in the early days of our galaxy, they contain some of the oldest stars in the Universe. Located in Sagittarius, it lies about 10,000 light years away. Its multitude of stars are packed into a ball only 65 light years in diameter.Though visible to the unaided eye on a dark night as a faint smudge, this image clearly shows the glittery nature of M22. In addition, this extended-color image shows that the star colors range from deep red through pale yellow to blue. Though some of the red stars are extremely cool giant stars, most are fainter ordinary stars that lie between us and the cluster. |
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