NASA shares stunning image of 10-billion-year-old globular cluster NGC 6496. Netizens say, 'Looks like glitter'

NASA shared an Instagram post featuring NGC 6496, a 10-billion-year-old globular cluster with high metal content and various unique stars, sparking awe and curiosity among netizens.

Written By Karishma Pranav Bhavsar

Updated
17 Aug 2024, 10:23 AM IST

NASA images: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has shared stunning image 10-billion-year-old globular cluster of stars, NGC 6496, which the space agency describes it as “heavy metal.”

NASA added that the clusters is about 35,000 light-years away from Earth. In a post on Instagram, the space agency also added that the stars in this cluster have a notably higher concentration of metals, elements heavier than hydrogen and helium, than those found in comparable stellar clusters.

NASA further explained that NGC 6496 hosts a selection of long-period variables — giant pulsating stars whose brightness can take up to, and even over, a thousand days to change." It also has short-period eclipsing binaries, where the brightness dims as one star passes in front of the other, it added.

People were captivated by the stunning image of NGC 6496. One person remarked, “Looks like glitter,” while another reflected “We are dust in the universe.”

More:
https://www.livemint.com/science/news/nasa-shares-stunning-image-of-10-billion-year-old-globular-cluster-ngc-6496-netizens-say-looks-like-glitter-11723868088118.html


NGC 6496