Starry Splendor in the Core of Omega Centauri (C80)

This Hubble image shows off 2 million members of the biggest and brightest ball of stars in our galaxy. Caldwell 80, also known as NGC 5139 and commonly called Omega Centauri, is home to around 10 million stars. The spectacular globular cluster is among the biggest and most massive of some 200 globular clusters orbiting the Milky Way Galaxy. Located 17,000 light-years from Earth, Omega Centauri is one of the few globular clusters that can be seen with the unaided eye. Found in the constellation Centaurus, it resembles a small cloud in the southern sky and might easily be mistaken for a comet.