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Astronomy Picture of the Day

Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2025 May 23

Explanation: Most roam the halo of our Milky Way galaxy, but globular cluster NGC 6366 lies close to the . About 12,000 light-years away toward the constellation Ophiuchus, the cluster's starlight is dimmed and reddened by the Milky Way's interstellar dust when viewed from planet Earth. As a result, the look almost golden in , especially when seen next to relatively bright, bluish, and nearby star 47 Ophiuchi. Compared to the hundred thousand stars or so gravitationally bound in distant NGC 6366, 47 Oph itself is a binary star system a mere 100 light-years away. Still, the of 47 Oph are too close together to be individually distinguished in the image.

Authors & editors: () & ()
NASA Official: Amber Straughn .

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