September 17, 1999
The Earth has carried you around the Sun again, steady as ever, while the stars kept their patient watch.
M3: Half A Million Stars
Birthday · September 17, 1999
A little universe, just for you
Your date.
Ready to give.
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APOD published September 17, 1999. Full image credits are on the original APOD entry below. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
This immense ball of half a million stars older than the sun lies 30,000 light-years above the plane of our Galaxy. Cataloged as M3 (and NGC 5272), it is one of about 250 globular star clusters which roam our galactic halo. Individual stars are difficult to distinguished in the densely packed core but colors are apparent for the bright stars on the cluster's outskirts. M3's many cool "red" giant stars take on a yellowish cast in this lovely composite image while hotter giants and pulsating variable stars look light blue.