It’s full of stars! (gorgeous Hubble picture of the globular cluster NGC 1806).

[Swede]

NGC 1806 is actually part of another galaxy: the Large Magellanic Cloud (or LMC to those in the know), an irregular smear of a billion or so stars that orbits the Milky Way itself as a satellite galaxy. Given that this means the globular cluster is something like 170,000 light years away — 1.7 quintillion km, or a quintillion miles — it’s a pretty clear picture!

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/10/25/its-full-of-stars/

[Arctic Dave]

1. That is a hell of a lot of stars.

[WhiteTara]

2. thank you

I needed to be awe inspired this evening and this was it. I can be in the bigness/greatness or the smallest mote.

[madrchsod]

3. that`s my next screen....thanks!

[pokerfan]

4. globular clusters are probably my favorite deep sky object

Omega Centauri being my favorite of all.

It looks something like this through a telescope:


and it looks like this through the Hubble:

[jayfish]

5. Absolutely! They never disappoint...

regardless of light pollution and/or seeing.

[Sequoia]

6. I used to squint up my eyes as a kid staring at the Christmas tree

and it looked like the 2nd photo. I used to pretend I was in Star Trek sailing thru space with a million stars all around. Try it this holiday season!

[pokerfan]

7. I do the same thing by driving in a snowstorm

I set the headlights on bright and it's just like warp speed:


Of course, I can't really see where I'm going so I usually just do it on the straight stretches. Then the nervous ensigns in the back-seat start complaing and saying that I'm going to get everyone killed. Yeah, it's exactly like being a starship captain:


"If it's one thing I don't need, it's your "I-don't-think-that's-wise" attitude!"