images

Globular cluster M22 in Sagittarius

by

Nasa/ESA/R.Gendler/Novapix

Reference

a-agb66-56002

Date

2011-01-04

M22 (NGC 6656) is one of the nearest globular clusters to our sun (distance 10 400 light years) . Its stars stretch some 200 light years across and its collective brightness ranks it third among the 150 known Milky Way globulars. It is outshined visually only by the two bright southern globulars, Omega Centauri and 47 Tucanae. M22 is considered an old globular cluster having its beginning some 12 billion years ago not long after the formation of the Milky Way.