Embargoed Until: 1:00 a.m. (EDT) August 3, 2000

A Dying Star in Globular Cluster M15

The globular cluster M15 is shown in this color image obtained with the Hubble telescope. Lying some 40,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Pegasus, M15 is one of nearly 150 known globular clusters that form a vast halo surrounding our Milky Way galaxy. Each of these spherically shaped clusters contains hundreds of thousands of ancient stars. The stars in M15 and other globular clusters are estimated to be about 12 billion years old. They were among the first generations of stars to form in the Milky Way.

Nestled among the myriads of stars visible in the Hubble image is an astronomical oddity. The pinkish object to the upper left of the cluster's core is a gas cloud surrounding a dying star. Known as Kuestner 648, this was the first planetary nebula to be identified in a globular cluster.

Image Credit: NASA and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)