Explanation:
Of three objects prominent in
this thoughtful telescopic image,
a view toward the stealthy constellation
Lynx,
two (the spiky ones) are nearby stars.
The third is the remote globular star cluster
NGC 2419,
at distance of nearly 300,000 light-years.
NGC 2419 is sometimes
called "the Intergalactic Wanderer",
an appropriate title considering that the distance to
the Milky Way's satellite galaxy, the
Large Magellanic Cloud, is only
about 160,000 light-years.
Roughly similar to other large globular star clusters like
Omega Centauri, NGC 2419
is itself intrinsically bright, but appears faint because
it is so far away.
NGC 2419 may really have an extragalactic origin as,
for example, the remains of a small galaxy
captured and disrupted by the Milky Way.
But its extreme distance makes it difficult to
study
and compare its properties with other
globular clusters that roam the halo of
our Milky Way galaxy.
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