Exploding Stars Illuminate NASA/ESA Hubble Telescope Image

A stunning new image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope reveals an explosion of stars in the globular cluster NGC 6355. This dense population of stars gives the cluster a roughly spherical shape resembling a firework! The image was taken by the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) on board the Hubble Space Telescope, which is operated by NASA and ESA. The WFC3 instrument captures ultraviolet and visible light from distant galaxies, allowing astronomers to study their properties in unprecedented detail. The globular cluster NGC 6355 is located about 11,000 light-years away in the constellation Ophiuchus (the Serpent Bearer). It contains hundreds of thousands of stars that are tightly packed together, forming a spherical shape that resembles a giant firework. This image also shows other clusters nearby, such as NGC 6352 and NGC 6357. These clusters are much less densely populated than NGC 6355 and have more elongated shapes due to their lower star density. Astronomers believe that these globular clusters formed billions of years ago when our Milky Way galaxy was still young. They are believed to be among some of the oldest structures in our galaxy, making them important objects for studying its evolution over time. This new image provides us with an incredible view into one of these ancient stellar structures, giving us insight into how galaxies form and evolve over time. It's truly awe-inspiring to see such a beautiful display of exploding stars!