A composite image of NGC 6712, a globular star cluster in the constellation Scutum. This ancient cluster, approximately 23,000 light-years away, is slowly dissolving as its fainter stars are stripped away by the Milky Way's gravitational forces. The image showcases the dense concentration of millions of stars within the cluster.

Astronomy Picture from 25/02/1999

NGC 6712: Galactic Globular Cluster

Source: https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap990225.html


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