February 21, 1996
The stars above are ancient, but your chance to be here is exquisitely temporary.
Millions of Stars in Omega Centauri
Birthday · February 21, 1996
A little universe, just for you
Your date.
Ready to give.
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APOD published February 21, 1996. Full image credits are on the original APOD entry below. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
Pictured above is the largest ball of stars in our Galaxy. About 10 million stars orbit the center of this globular cluster - named Omega Centauri - as this giant globular cluster orbits the center of our Galaxy. Recent evidence indicates that Omega Centauri is by far the most massive of the about 160 globular clusters in the Milky Way. The stars in globular clusters are generally older, redder and less massive than our Sun. Studying globular clusters tells us about the history of our Galaxy and the age of the universe.