NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope recently captured an image of the globular cluster NGC 2005, which is located about 750 light-years from the heart of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). This cluster stands out among its surroundings due to its unique characteristics.
The LMC is the Milky Way’s largest satellite galaxy, situated some 162,000 light-years from Earth. Globular clusters are dense groups of stars that can contain tens of thousands or even millions of stars. Due to their high density, these clusters are bound tightly by gravity, making them very stable entities. This stability is reflected in their longevity, as globular clusters can be billions of years old and usually consist of very old stars.
Studying globular clusters in space is akin to examining fossils on Earth. Just as fossils provide insights into ancient plants and animals, globular clusters offer valuable information about ancient stars. By observing and analyzing these clusters, scientists can learn more about the characteristics and behaviors of stars that formed billions of years ago.
