Need a new desktop background? Look no further than this dazzling photo of Messier 15, an ancient globular cluster located about 35,000 light-years away.
The image was compiled from observations made by Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 and Advanced Camera for Surveys in the ultraviolet, infrared, and optical parts of the spectrum. Here’s a glimpse of the whole thing:
The ESA explains the unique celestial phenomenon:
Both very hot blue stars and cooler golden stars can be seen swarming together in the image, becoming more concentrated towards the cluster’s bright centre. Messier 15 is one of the densest globular clusters known, with most of its mass concentrated at its core. As well as stars, Messier 15 was the first cluster known to host a planetary nebula, and it has been found to have a rare type of black hole at its centre.
Go here to download the images in various sizes.
