Omega Centauri Shines Over Dark Forest in Skywatcher Photo

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Omega Centauri
Omega Centauri, also known as NGC 5139, is the brightest and largest known globular cluster in the Milky Way. (Image credit: Tunc Tezel / TWAN)

Omega Centauri, the brightest and largest known globular cluster in the Milky Way, shines brightly over a dark forest in this skywatching photo.

Tunc Tezel of The World at Night shot this stunning single-exposure telephoto image on March 21 from Mount Uludag, Turkey.  

The cluster is located more than 15,000 light-years away in the constellation Centaurus. It’s one of the brightest objects in the night sky and easily visible with the naked eye. The numerous stars in the center cause it to appear as bright as the full moon.

Editor's note: If you have an amazing skywatching photo you'd like to share for a possible story or image gallery, please contact managing editor Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com.

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Nina Sen
Contributing Writer and Producer

Nina Sen is a freelance writer and producer who covered night sky photography and astronomy for Space.com. She began writing and producing content for Space.com in 2011 with a focus on story and image production, as well as amazing space photos captured by NASA telescopes and other missions. Her work also includes coverage of amazing images by astrophotographers that showcase the night sky's beauty.