Messier 5 (M5)

Messier 5 (M5) is a globular star cluster, 100,000 stars or more, bound by gravity and packed into a region around 165 light-years in diameter. Roaming the halo of our galaxy, globular star clusters are ancient members of the Milky Way. M5 is one of the oldest globulars, its stars estimated to be nearly 13 billion years old. The Hubble Space Telescope captured this stunning close-up view that spans about 20 light-years near the central region of M5. Even close to its dense core at the left, the cluster's aging red and blue giant stars and rejuvenated blue stragglers stand out in yellow and blue hues in the sharp color image.