What is Omega Centauri?

Omega Centauri, also called the NGC 5139, is a dense global cluster of stars orbiting the Milky Way. It is clearly visible from most of the southern hemisphere with the naked eye, located about 18,300 light years from the ground, or ~ 18% of the galactic diameter. In 2003, it was proposed that the Omega Centauri could be the rest of the dwarf galaxy of hundreds of times its size, which was absorbed and torn by the Milky Way many million years ago. The Omega Centauri age is estimated to be about 12 billion years and is one of the few globular clusters that can be seen without the help of a telescope.

Omega Centauri was originally discovered by astronomer Edmund Halley in 1677. He is the largest and most holy stellar cluster associated with the Milky Way, thicker than even the galactic core of the milk Way. The center of Omega Centauri is so dense that the stars are only about 0.1 bright years apart (~ 6000 AU). The cluster has a diameter of approximately 100 light -years. Omega Centauri contains several million population stars that have a very lowmetallicity (several other elements other than hydrogen or helium) and great age. Population stars II are common in globular clusters and in the galactic core and halo. Younger populations and stars, like our Sun, are found in galactic weapons.

Usually, global clusters are formed from the same prehistoric gas cloud, but observations suggest that the stars in the Omega Centauri have a number of different age and metallic. Astronomers are not entirely sure why it is, but the theory that Omega Centauri is the residual core of the dwarf galaxy to explain it.

Omega Centauri has what could be called a "sister cluster" in neighboring Andromed Galaxy, known as the Mayall II. With more than twice the Omega Centauri mass, Mayall II is the brightest globular cluster in the local group of galaxies, and is also theorized as a dwarf galaxy.