Sunny Priyan
This glittering gathering of stars is Pismis 26, a globular star cluster located about 23,000 light-years away and is estimated to be 12 billion years old.
Credit: NASA, ESA and R. Cohen
The Armenian astronomer Paris Pismis first discovered the cluster in 1959 at the Tonantzintla Observatory in Mexico, granting it the dual name Tonantzintla 2 (Ton2).
Credit: NASA, ESA and R. Cohen
In the dust-heavy bulge, reddening scatters blue light and lets red pass through, distorting the true colors of cosmic objects.
Image Credit: Pixabay
The stars of Pismis 26 have high metallicity, meaning they contain a high fraction of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium, the most abundant elements in the universe.
Image Credit: Pixabay
Rich in nitrogen, the stars of Pismis 26 reflect typical bulge cluster traits, leading scientists to suspect multiple generations of stars.
Image Credit: Pixabay
Pismis 26 has likely shed much of its mass over time, pulled apart by the strong inner galaxy tidal field acting on bulge star clusters.
Credit: NASA, ESA and R. Cohen