Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Astronomy Picture of the Day - Messier 2
NASA ^ | 19 Dec, 2024 | Image Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, G. Piotto et al.

Posted on 12/19/2024 11:58:46 AM PST by MtnClimber

Explanation: After the Crab Nebula, this giant star cluster is the second entry in 18th century astronomer Charles Messier's famous list of things that are not comets. M2 is one of the largest globular star clusters now known to roam the halo of our Milky Way galaxy. Though Messier originally described it as a nebula without stars, this stunning Hubble image resolves stars across the cluster's central 40 light-years. Its population of stars numbers close to 150,000, concentrated within a total diameter of around 175 light-years. About 55,000 light-years distant toward the constellation Aquarius, this ancient denizen of the Milky Way, also known as NGC 7089, is 13 billion years old. An extended stellar debris stream, a signature of past gravitational tidal disruption, was recently found to be associated with Messier 2.


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; nasa
To be added or removed from the Astronomy Picture of the Day ping list please send me a request via "Private Reply" (Mail).

For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.

1 posted on 12/19/2024 11:58:46 AM PST by MtnClimber
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

2 posted on 12/19/2024 11:59:07 AM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 21stCenturion; 21twelve; 4everontheRight; A Navy Vet; A_perfect_lady; abb; AFB-XYZ; AFPhys; ...
Pinging the APOD list

πŸͺ 🌟 🌌 πŸ”

3 posted on 12/19/2024 12:00:05 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

Wow.


4 posted on 12/19/2024 2:00:44 PM PST by No name given ( Anonymous is who you’ll know me as)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: No name given

It’s beautiful.


5 posted on 12/19/2024 2:37:08 PM PST by telescope115 (I NEED MY SPACE!!! πŸ”­)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

Wow - that’s beautiful


6 posted on 12/19/2024 2:51:31 PM PST by Deaf and Discerning
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

I can’t get over how some people, taking in that information and witnessing this spectacle, can still deny the existence of God.


7 posted on 12/19/2024 7:51:47 PM PST by MikelTackNailer (NewRome Tacitus)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson