Celestial hemisphere:  Southern  ·  Constellation: Centaurus (Cen)  ·  Contains:  HD115989  ·  HD116197  ·  HD116337  ·  HD116354  ·  HD116586  ·  HD116649  ·  HD116663  ·  HD116789  ·  HD116861  ·  HD116980  ·  HD117054  ·  HD117193  ·  HD117313  ·  HD117484  ·  HD117618  ·  HD117685  ·  HD117721  ·  NGC 5139  ·  Omega Centauri  ·  omega Cen
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Omega Centauri, NGC 5139, Frank Alvaro
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Omega Centauri, NGC 5139

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Omega Centauri, NGC 5139, Frank Alvaro
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Omega Centauri, NGC 5139

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Omega Centauri (ω Cen, NGC 5139, or Caldwell 80) is a globular cluster in the constellation of Centaurus that was first identified as a non-stellar object by Edmond Halley in 1677. Located at a distance of 17,090 light-years (5,240 parsecs), it is the largest-known globular cluster in the Milky Way at a diameter of roughly 150 light-years. It is estimated to contain approximately 10 million stars, and a total mass equivalent to 4 million solar masses, making it the most massive-known globular cluster in the Milky Way.

Omega Centauri is very different from most other galactic globular clusters to the extent that it is thought to have originated as the core remnant of a disrupted dwarf galaxy. The stars in the core of Omega Centauri are so crowded that they are estimated to average only 0.1 light-year away from each other. The internal dynamics have been analysed using measurements of the radial velocities of 469 stars. The members of this cluster are orbiting the centre of mass with a peak velocity dispersion of 7.9 km s−1.  (Wikipedia)

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Omega Centauri, NGC 5139, Frank Alvaro