Scientists at the European Space Agency have made a remarkable discovery: they have identified half a million new stars within the Omega Centauri cluster.
A decade ago, the European Space Agency initiated the Gaia space mission with the goal of creating a comprehensive 3D map of our Milky Way galaxy. After surveying approximately 1.8 billion stars and nearly completing their galactic map, scientists noticed a significant gap in their data concerning densely populated star regions in the sky. To rectify this shortfall, the team behind the Gaia space observatory decided to shift their focus to globular clusters.
Globular clusters are renowned for their densely concentrated hundreds of thousands of stars. These clusters represent some of the oldest objects in the universe. As a result, the scientists decided to conduct a reanalysis of previously collected data.
This time, their attention was directed towards a specific globular cluster known as the Omega Centauri cluster, located at a distance of about 17,090 light years from Earth.
What was uncovered within the Omega Centauri cluster? The study disclosed the presence of half a million new stars within the Omega Centauri cluster.
Additionally, the research unveiled the existence of cosmic objects with such immense mass that they possess the ability to bend light. This fascinating phenomenon is referred to as gravitational lensing.
By examining globular clusters, scientists gained valuable insights into the structure of the Milky Way galaxy. They came to realize that our sun is not positioned at the center of the galaxy.
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